“You excited to be going to Korea tomorrow?” your mom asks you cheerfully. Ever since the end of Grade 12, you couldn’t stop thinking about the upcoming family vacation to Korea.

             “I sure am!” you respond. “By the way, who is this friend we’re staying with?” You remember your mom mentioning something about staying at her friend’s house for the trip.

              “It’s a friend of mine from university. She’s got a son who’s a couple years younger than you. I can’t remember his name, but I know it starts with an E. And he speaks English pretty well. You two have seen each other a few times before when you were younger.” You silently scold yourself for not remembering who this boy was.  Needless to say, you couldn’t wait to see him again.   

              After the long, sickening flight, all you want is to run outside and get some fresh air. Your mom hurries over to a middle-aged lady with chin-length hair waiting at arrivals and embraces her. You assume this is the family friend that you’ll be staying with for the next two weeks. Next to the lady is a bespectacled, cheerful-looking boy, barely taller than you are. His face looks a bit familiar. You vaguely remember building a sandcastle with him when the two of you were just children.

              “(Y/N)! It’s so good to see you again!” the lady, Mrs. Lee, chirps, squeezing you in a hug. “Do you remember my son, Euiwoong?” Ahh, so that was his name. Oo-ee-oong. How on earth were you going to pronounce that?

              Euiwoong must be reading your mind, because he interrupts “You can call me Eric, actually. A lot of people have trouble pronouncing my Korean name.” And then he breaks into a hearty laugh.