After the awkward phone call, HyeRin and I continuing our walk towards the main plaza to gather with thousands other people to watch the band performance. I’ve read an article saying that Dutch people are the tallest among human being on Earth, being stuck here with them I can confirm the article was right. These tall people keep on pushing me and HyeRin from every side, when HyeRin describe the Queen’s day to me, I never expect it’ll be this crowded. We can barely move without crushing into someone or step onto something. HyeRin however, never forget to put out her camera to capture the everything, this is the reason why she’s here, she wants to witness the festivity. I walk in front of her to sort of “open” the way for her, although the job seems to be useless as we get closer to the main stage.

For what seemed to be a quarter hour walking, we reach the main plaza, these people really are in the mood of celebration. A group in front of me are having a capoeira performance, next to them some other people are having a street speech about global warming—ironic seeing how they’re practically stand on top of garbage pile they created themselves, to my right some youngsters smoking pot freely while jumping around in circle. Today is the day when everyone has become super friendly to each other, they don’t care if you step on their feet or bump yourself into them, even a Caucasian guy being friendly to me by offering me a can of beer. I turn around to see HyeRin, my heart sink a little when I cannot find her in sight.

I stop at my place and tiptoe to make myself taller, still, she’s nowhere to be seen. I don’t get it, she was just behind me a few moments ago, where did she vanish? I find myself a bench to climb on and give another effort to find HyeRin.

Looking around, I try to remember her outfit first—then I remember it’s useless because everybody here wearing the same color outfit, the next thing I do is trying to put myself in her shoe, if I were HyeRin what would I be doing by now? I’d take photographs if I were her, but what kind of photograph? HyeRin likes candid pictures with intense emotion, so I figure she will go to a quieter place to be able to capture better moment. I was right, I finally spot her, she’s so focus taking picture of the capoeira group from the side that she doesn’t realize where she’s going. Once she takes her head off the camera, HyeRin starts to look around—looking for me, I bet—and when she cannot see what she’s looking for she takes her sun glasses off and turns her head in every direction looking puzzled. I make my way towards her while shouting her name, I don’t want her to be panic in this crowd. My effort to call her name is completely useless, the music sound from the stage is too loud.

When I get closer to her I can clearly see how frighten she feels, her eyes start to water in fear. I tap her shoulder to make her look at me.

“TaecYeon-ssi, I thought I lost you.” she grabs my arm and squeezes it.

“Stop taking pictures until we get a perfect spot, okay?” I take her camera and put its strap around my neck.

She nods and moves closer to me. I think it’s too crowded to walk separately so I take her hand and lock our fingers together.

“Let’s walk like this, don’t get lost again.” I lift our hand and guide her.

She nods and let me lead the way to the main stage.

We pick a spot to stand once we reach the main area. HyeRin put her thumb up to tell me the place is fine for us to watch the music show.

“I’m so glad you’re here with me, I’d get lost if you’re not here.” HyeRin tiptoe to talk on my ear. It’s the only way we can speak to each other, since the band that is playing on the stage is singing rock music.

I lower myself to her height and talk near her ear. “I’m glad I come with you. This is an amazing experience.”

She takes her camera from my neck and start capturing again, I decided to do the same. This kind of ambience can only happen once in your lifetime, I’d rather capture all the great moment around me instead of regretting it later on when I don’t even have a decent picture to help me remember. I point my camera towards HyeRin and tap on her shoulder.

“Smile for me, HyeRin-a.”

She puts her camera down and gives me the biggest grin she has, for all I know this is how I’m going to remember her for the rest of my life—a beautiful innocent girl who lives a happy and cheerful life. HyeRin gives her camera to me and tell me to capture selfie of us both.

“Oppa, we don’t have picture together. I want to at least have one good picture of us.” She speaks on my ear.

I nod along and position the camera in front of us to start capturing ourselves. “Is that good enough?” I show her the pictures we just took.

She scans through it and nods. HyeRin put her attention back to the crowds as the band decided to play “Time of My Life” on stage—DJ party remix version, the worst version if I can be honest—and the crowds start making human wave during the song. HyeRin face lighten up for she gets the perfect moment to capture, however she has to tiptoe to get a decent picture of the stage, that’s when I have a brilliant idea.

“HyeRin-a, I’ll carry you on my shoulder, you can see better and take picture.”

“Jeongmal? Is that okay for you?”

I nod and squat so she can put her legs around my neck. When she’s steady, I lift both of our bodies. “How does it look like from up there?” I shout at her and hold on to her thigh so she won’t fall.

She replies with a thumb up and already busied herself back with the camera.

Hours later, we got bored with the constant screaming of the performer on stage, so we decide to go to a quieter place where we can actually sit and enjoy the moment. I point to the railing by the canal bank, some people have the same thoughts as we are when they got tired of standing and cheering in front of the stage.

“How’s your shoulder?” HyeRin put both her hands on my shoulders to massage it, I can tell she feels a bit guilty after sitting on it for a while.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind you massaging me though.” I chuckle.

HyeRin climbs the railing to sit on the top bar. I hold her hip to help her balance herself, an Asian girl falling into the canal is the last embarrassing thing we need. “Ahhh.. I’m so happy tod