The first time I went to New York was when I was 14 years old, my sister Chae Rin was leaving to college and my mom, my father and I went there to help her settle, I think that was the last time the four of us were together like that.

I always used to complaint with mom how my sister had forgotten about me since then, mom used to tell me that I needed to understand, college wasn’t easy and especially an Ivy League one like Columbia, she told me that she must be having a hard time dealing with homework, the different culture and the language and with the time difference she probably felt bad to call me in the middle of the night. I tried to listen to my mother, but some part of me was telling me that my sister was given in to the pressure my father was putting on her and started hating me. I was always afraid of my sister hating me, she had so many dreams, so many aspirations. But to my father, she didn’t have the right to have those dreams, since she was only a woman, if someone needed to follow his steps and become the head of the company, that someone had to be me.

So, after almost two years of not hearing a word from my sister I was sure she hated me, after all if she didn’t want to call me at a bad time, she could text, email me or something. Then last Christmas I received a package in the mail, I couldn’t believe my eyes as I opened it and I started crying. It was a picture frame with Christmas motifs, inside it had a picture of me and my sister posing together in Central Park, I couldn’t help but thinking “She still loves me”.

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Jinu and I were eating the ka-re rice together in his bedroom, we decided to eat here so we could continue watching Stranger Things, we were completely obsessed with that show. Jinu and his mother live in a two-bedroom apartment, it is much smaller that my aunt’s, but it is clean and cozy and the area is nice and secure with a family environment. His bedroom is very much how I imagined it to be, he had posters of soccer players like Lionel Messi, Diego Armando Maradona and Rivaldo, he had a complete collection of Captain Tsubasa’s manga, a TV and PlayStation which he mainly uses to play FIFA. His cover sheets are a football soccer field and his bed is big enough to fit two people, he also has a small desk which we used to study and we’re now using to eat.

We had already finish eating when we heard his mother entering the apartment, we both got out of the bedroom to greet her.

- Mom!! – said Jinu hugging her. – How was your day?

- Good, son. I’m just a little tired.

- Annyeonghaseyo, I’m Song Mino. – I said extending my hand at her.

- Oh, Song Mino! I’m glad to finally meet you, I heard so much about you.

- Good things I hope. – I told her scratching the back of my neck.

- Of course, honey, Jinu told me you are a very good friend, smart and very talented at soccer too.

- Well mom, is getting late, Mino must go home now. – said Jinu somewhat nervous.

- Yes, I think so too. – I said realizing that it was almost 8 pm and I still needed to take the bus home.

- Okay honey, it was nice meeting you.

- Likewise, Mrs. Kim.

- Just call me mother. – she said playfully.

- Araso, mother.

- Let’s go. – said Jinu taking me by the arm to the door.

- Wait, my things. – I told him.

- Oh, right let’s go grab your things first.

Jinu walked me to the bus stop and I couldn’t help but notice that he seemed very nervous, like struggling with something. When we arrived at the bus stop he said, “Mino, I want to give you something.” He took my hand and place a phone strap on the palm of my hand, it was a tiny soccer ball, the cutest thing I ever seen. “I don’t have money to pay you for the tutoring so this is the least I can do, besides I’m really thankful to you for everything, the lunchboxes, the winning goal on Sunday and just for been my friend. I wanted to thank you for all. I know this is only a tiny thing and is not worth much, but is from the heart.”

I was about to cry, you know when a gift has a very special meaning, the type of meaning that is worth more than money. When my sister gave me the picture of us of in Central Park it was special to me because that was the place that I wanted to go the must since my favorite movie Serendipity took place there, we had a big argument with our father so he could let us go there and finally we had to sneak out together when he was sleeping, he almost made my sister go back to China because of that act of disobedience to him. When Jinu gave me the phone strap of a soccer ball he was basically giving me his heart, since soccer is what he loves the most in the world. “Thanks, Jinu hyung, you didn’t have too.” He smiled and let out a sight of relieved “Do you like it?” he asked, “Yes, I love it.” At that moment, our conversation was cut short as my bus arrived and we said good bye.

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I can’t believe I’m sad because is Friday, and is not only because I will miss Jinu Hyung, I will also miss this two bastards that are making fun of me right now. Eunji finally uploaded my profile to the fan page and they were all laughing at my answers.

- Mino, I can’t believe you are afraid of frogs!! – mock Hoony – you have frogphobia!!

- Is Batrachophobia, you d.umba.ss!! – said Yoon, hitting him in the back of the head.

- Ouch!! – said Hoony. – And it says in here that your favorite movie is Serendipity!! What are you a girl?, hahahahaha… -- he added while everyone else was laughing at my expenses.

Later that day while we were going to practice together I notice that there was a strange atmosphere in the environment, they were looking kind of sad and gloomy. The coach started his speech for today’s practice, “This Sunday’s game is as important as any other game, I want you to focus, I want you to strive, you have to give it all, a %110 percent is not enough. Forget about your feelings, left them behind once you enter the field of play. Don’t think about Nam Taehyun, he will be a rival on the soccer field.”

- Who is Nam Taehyun – I asked Jinu, who was sitting on the ground next to me.

- A very good friend. – he said with sad eyes.