Somehow, I ended up on a street that was fairly busy and lined with stalls of food. I hurriedly wiped the last of my tears with the back of my hand and rashly sat down at the nearest stall.

"Can I get something for you dearie?" the ahjumma asked me, smiling as she tied back her apron. I looked around me and saw that I was the only customer.

"I think I'll have some Ddeokbokki," I said a bit hoarsely. As I slouched down on my seat, I realized there was a little boy that had climbed up beside me. He was holding a couple of cards and I watched him mutter to himself for a few minutes. Then he turned to me.

"Do you want to play Pokémon with me, noona?" the kid asked me, his black bangs falling over his eyes. 

"Yah, Minsuk-ah, don't bother the customers," the ahjumma scolded him, looking apologetically at me. "I'm sorry, but my son has few friends."

"It's fine," I said a little awkwardly, shifting around in my seat. "I'm just not very good with kids." I shuddered as I remembered the baby project.

"I'm not a kid," the kid said indignantly. "Even my hyung calls me a guy." He began laying his mass of cards onto the counter. I watched him curiously, and after a moment, picked up one of his cards.

"What's your hyung like?" I asked idly, looking at a card of some weird Pokémon. The kid brightened up and gave me a toothy grin.

"He's the best, but he only comes around once or twice a month," he said a little bit sadly. "He came by a day ago, and he asked me for relationship advice." I snorted, thinking how ridiculous it was to get advice from a little kid.

"You're what, eight, and you already give older people relationship advice?" I teased, my mood lifted a bit.

"I'm nine, and I've already had three girlfriends," the kid told me proudly. "I have an affair every two days." I nearly toppled out of my seat...did this kid even know what an affair was?

"Anyways, my hyung has a huge problem with his girlfriend," Minsuk told me, as he shuffled his cards. He looked at the card in my hand and said, "You can keep that one." I smiled in thanks and waited for him to go on with his story.

"So he really liked this girl, and he even helped her after she got her heart broken by a jerk," the kid said, putting his elbows on the counter. "He gave her this romantic confession, and then they had this really really really huge argument over whether or not she would go out with him." I furrowed my eyebrows, a little concerned for the guy.

"Anyways, they kinda got together, but then some people were against it since they live together," the kid said, picking his nose. I scooted away from him, wary of his dirty finger.

"So my hyung got together with another girl and he told me he was going to break up with the girl he really loved to protect her," Minsuk said nonchalantly. The ahjumma set down a bowl in front of me and whacked Minsuk on the head.

"Where did you learn to gossip like an old woman?" she laughed while Minsuk sheepishly rubbed his head.

"Why would he do that?" I asked, now very much absorbed in his story.

"He said that people were gonna kick her out if she was his girlfriend," Minsuk said. "He was scared that rumours were going to wreck her reputation." I swallowed nervously, as I tried to connect Minsuk’s story to my situation.

“What’s your hyung’s name?” I asked, suddenly apprehensive. Minsuk’s eyes widened, and he shook his head.

“I can’t tell you that,” he whispered, “It’s a secret.” I groaned…if that guy wasn’t Taemin, and I confronted Taemin about it, I would sound like a psycho sentimental freak. As I turned back to my soggy dish, I heard the ahjumma wave at a stranger.

“Ah, look how much you’ve grown!” she gushed, brandishing her spoon.

“I was just here a couple days ago,” a familiar voice said tiredly.

I froze in my seat and turned around.