Minhyun froze in shock.
While walking in the outside yard of his estate, he noticed a little girl. She reminded him of cherry blossoms; her cheeks pink and eyes lively like spring. Short, brown hair cascaded above her shoulders, shining against the sunlight. There was a single heart pin holding back the loose hair strands from her face.
The little girl hummed while skipping through the estate's garden. Her curious eyes peered everywhere, not wanting to miss out on a single detail. Everything about the garden fascinated her. The scenery was so beautiful. She was in awe.
The edges of her denim dress flowed with the wind while she walked in her tattered running shoes.
Although he was more than a dozen meters away, he couldn't help but notice every small detail about her. The prominent dimples when she smiled. The pink on her nails. Her light, airy steps. His whole world stopped in time, and the only thing he could see was her.
He could not believe his eyes. Was there truly another child in his midst? This couldn't be real. He had to be hallucinating. All this time he was alone, and suddenly, there was warmth in his cold abode.
For the first time in a while, he saw someone smile.
The sound of his pounding heartbeat echoed in his ears. His body had never reacted so violently before. She was like a bright light shining in the darkness of his days. He didn't know who she was, but a sense of comfort dawned over him. He needed to talk to her.
He didn't hesitate to walk over.
The workers behind him tensed as they followed his gaze to the young girl. None of them knew how she got into the garden in the first place. Who was she? Why was she near the young master? Other than Minhyun, there was not supposed to be another child in the estate. Mental sirens rang in their head, alerting that something was wrong.
They pondered on calling the boss about the situation since trespassing was a grave security threat, but they kept their mouths shut. All of them were scared. The boss did not like to be bothered about household affairs. Nobody made the move to call him for they would be the recipient of his frustration.
Nonetheless, Minhyun did not care about the girl's identity. His emotions overwhelmed his common sense. He was a child after all. His heart only leaped with happiness after seeing her. She was bright. So bright. He hadn't met someone around his age for as long as he remembered.
When he noticed the butlers getting ready to confront the girl, he raised his hand to stop them. The movement of his arm signaled for them to back off and to wait for his next command.
Minhyun wanted to observe the girl first. The workers would've scared her away.
The little girl didn't notice him even though he was right behind her. She continued to stroll without any worries.
He silently followed, the others ten steps behind him.
After noticing a yellow butterfly on a rose bush, she knelt to view the creature at eye level.
"Pretty," she commented. Fascination sparked within her, and she couldn't control the urge to stay still. Her index finger slowly moved towards the butterfly, before it flew back up to the sky.
Unlike what he expected, the girl wasn't disappointed by the development. In fact, she jumped up and down in happiness while looking at the butterfly dance in the air. She loved seeing the creature fly. The butterfly flew in circles, left to right, before soaring above Minhyun's head.
When she turned around, her eyes lit with surprise. She was not alone.
Minhyun cleared his throat. He was not prepared to talk to her... Yet. He fixed his white-collared shirt. "Hello."
Awkwardness filled his voice. It had been a while since he'd had a regular conversation.
"Oh hello!" She pinched the sides of her dress and bowed cutely. His heart melted and all nervousness disappeared. "I didn't know another kid was here."
"Me neither," he said while smiling back. He took out his hand from his black trousers for her to shake. "My name is Minhyun, what is yours?"
She shook his hand, her tiny fingers wrapping around his palm. "Yoona Kim. Nice to meet you. Let's be friends!"
Friends. Never did he expect to be asked to be friends. He remembered dreaming about it once after reading a story about friendship, but reality was far different from the dream world. He never had the opportunity to have a relationship with another. His heart pounded in his chest. Today was different. He wasn't sure which God blessed him, but there was one thing he knew for sure. Minhyun finally had a friend.
He laughed, the sound shocking the workers around him. It had been long since they heard such a melodious sound. "I'd love to be friends."
She grinned. "Then since we're friends. Can I call you Mini instead of Minhyun?" Her nose scrunched up. "It's too long."
This was the first time he'd been given a nickname. Minhyun was absolutely ecstatic. "Sure."
He could already feel the development between them. Today had to be the best day of his life. Although he tried his hardest to fight back his smile, he couldn't contain his emotions.
The human contact he craved for every day was finally in his hands.
Noticing the slight pause in their conversation, one of the butlers stepped in. The black outfit made him seem like a ghoul, contrasting against his pale skin. His body was shaking, eyes glaring at the girl. He couldn't handle the disrespect the little one was displaying to the heir.
"Young Master, sorry for interrupting but I must say this." His gaze focused back on the girl and spoke with a menacing voice. "Who are you? You aren't supposed to be here. Do you know who you're talking to? How dare you!"
Yoona took a step back. She resembled a kitten in the rain; her eyes widened with quivering lips. This response was expected for a child. There was no doubt that the smallest exploit of anger would cause her frail feelings to sadden. As his newfound friend, Minhyun felt the urge to protect her.
He stepped forward, blocking her from the butler's view. The coldness of his aura spread, making everyone freeze in terror.
"Stop." Authority rang in his voice, and all hearts stopped beating after his command.
Fear. The butler felt pure fear. He saw the anger in the young master's eyes and immediately regretted his actions. How foolish was he to not realize Minhyun's feelings towards the young girl? He thought his brave actions would be rewarded. He quickly bowed. "Y-young Master. I-I was just putting the young girl in her place."
Though his execution was wrong, there was reasoning behind the butler's actions. Any threat from the outside world was to be questioned since the heir's safety was a priority. He was one of the most important children in the world. In fact, the workers had to be stricter with the intruder. Although she was a child, there could be a chance of danger! Anything out of the ordinary was bad. Minhyun's life was worth more than all of theirs combined.
Minhyun didn't bother to respond. Instead, he returned his attention back to Yoona. She was biting her lip while her body hunched into a protective stance. After striding forward, he placed his hand on her shoulder. He wasn't sure how to comfort someone, so he acted upon his instincts.
Her tensed muscles immediately loosened and to his surprise, she jumped in his arms. Since they were of similar height, her arms were wrapped around his chest while her chin rested on his shoulders.
It was his first time being in someone's embrace. The warmth rising in his heart was a foreign feeling. His cheeks reddened. Never did he expect to receive a hug or any form of affection for the matter.
He did not reject her but brought her closer to him. It was nice. He could get used to more hugs.
Once she was relaxed enough, Minhyun grabbed her shoulders and slightly moved her back so they could face each other.
"How did you get here?" He asked gently. He realized her identity couldn't be ignored.
Yoona blinked innocently. She pointed to the worker's residence. "Mommy brought me here this morning." She tip-toed to whisper in his ear. "She told me not to come outside because it's dangerous. I'm supposed to be in the room right now playing on her phone. But after looking outside, I didn't think it was too bad. Plus, I made a new friend!"
The guidelines strictly stated that workers were not allowed to bring children to the estate. This was a firm rule placed by the boss, the master of the house.
All the adults present couldn't help but shake their heads. What stupid mother was she to bring her daughter to the MH conglomerate household? She was asking for death! Anyone who defied the Master's laws were immediately exiled from the house and all MH conglomerate buildings.
Yoona, as a six-year-old child, was oblivious to the troubles she brought her mother.
"I see," Minhyun said before placing his lips in a straight line. The potential dangers of this situation frightened him. She was a worker's daughter. Her very existence on this property was against his father's laws. If he were to act carelessly, she would disappear in a second.
His eyes peered down at the young girl. He patted her head. "Don't worry, you have me, so you'll be safe."
He had never felt this close to a human being before. He wanted to avoid separation at all costs.
"Thank you!" She said as she clasped her hands similarly to a prayer. "You're very nice."
Minhyun nodded. "You're welcome."
She giggled. "Now since you asked me a question, I'll ask it back! What are you doing here?"
Minhyun paused. Should he tell the truth or lie? Since there were people surrounding him, it was hard to lie about his identity. Most people would've already assumed for him to be the heir. What other children would have ten adults accompanying him? But Minhyun could tell that Yoona was an innocent young girl. She wouldn't question him. Plus, she was younger than him.
He decided to make up a story. "My father is working under the Master of this house. I'm only staying here for a while before going back home."
Yoona nodded. Oblivious to his ten thousand dollar shoes and the priceless necklace around his neck. She accepted his story without a doubt before moving on. Children were easily gullible, falling for stories about Santa and the tooth fairy. She was no exception.