Year 2020, Private Home and Part Time Office in a Colonial Villa, Korea

 “Why is this bloody computer so SLOW!!!!!????” I exasperated grabbing unto my hair as I swore incoherent words.

Frustration is what I am feeling right now as I stared at the buffering screen of my desktop.

I felt a soft yet loud smack behind my head. I swiveled my computer chair and found a pillow dropping on the floor and the loud red sneakers of my best friend. Looking up in anger I looked up and found my friend snickering at me.

“Hey! What did you do that for?” I annoyingly questioned, grabbing the pillow that fell. I threw it back at him hitting “his perfectly shaped face”; as his adoring female students would say.

Catching the pillow before it fell on the floor Myungsoo took hold of it and threw it back on the bed.

“You know” He spoke scratching the back of his neck as he looked around the mess around him, “this make shift bedroom slash office of yours is not doing you any good. You look like a caveman tinkering on those keyboards. Is this how you will live your life as, a professional gamer, programmer and a music DJ at night? How could you build a proper family life like this?”

A surprised gasp escaped my lips and a guilty toothy smile formed my lips.

“Sorry.” Myungsoo grinned back as he took out his phone from his pocket. Extending his arm and showing the screen to me. “The girls could not keep the secret for long Krystal sent me this picture.”

My eyes were bloodshot as I tried to examine the picture in front of me. I could only distinguish the three women, Krystal, Sulli and Suzy, smiling fondly as Suzy extended her knuckles closely to the camera while Sulli jutted her hips forward posing and Krystal held the camera tightly pouting her lips. The caption underneath it read. “Da Gals got some good news for you. Congratulations to the lucky man!”

After pushing the screen off my face I mumbled a careless. “So…?” Trying to act cool to cover up the ecstatic feeling bursting from my chest.

“Well, it’s major news bro! Congratulations! You’re finally building a family after so many years! You’ve finally got what you want. Isn’t it about time you got yourself together and build a structured life?” Myungsoo advised.

“What do you mean by structured?” Pointing at him from head to toe. “Like yourself that built a “structured” boring life as a Professor?” I retorted back sarcastically.

“Correction! A professor in a PRESTIGIOUS university.” Myungsoo emphasized.

“Whatever.” I shrugged and rolled my eyes. Of course not accepting defeat like I always do, I stood up and looked down at my friend rubbing my brow with my index finger. “Although I look like I’m all over the place to you. I…” Pointing at my chest, “I make more money then you”, I continued now pointing at my friend’s chest poking fun at him.

“Indeed.” He agreed with no qualms as he walked past me. “But at least I have time to shower everyday unlike you.” He saucily added sniffing the air behind me.

“That’s it!” I rolled my sleeves and jumped on Myungsoo’s back.

I heard him shouting gruffly. He straightened his back abruptly getting me off his back as I stumbled backwards.

“When are you going to grow up?” I heard Myungsoo angrily say.

“I will finally grow up.” I spoke confidently. “I got a girl.” I winked at him.

“And well…” Cocking his head and staring at me mockingly Myungsoo took a jab at me. “…you got me to remind you you’re old, slow poke.”

Spring Year 2008, Business Class in an Airplane, Airport Korea.

A flight delay back to Busan, I met the most peculiar person with a mysterious aura, uncomfortably biting on his fingernails while tapping his rubber covered foot on the carpeted floor of the plane. His shoulder were scrunched down as he nervously looked through the tiny oval window of the plane.

I was constantly checking my watch as another minute passes and this plane has not started its engine yet. I could hear the pilot yet again announcing his apologies.

“This is your pilot speaking. I would like to apologize again for the delay of this flight. We are just waiting for those missing passengers to board but it seems like they will not be taking this flight. We are now getting their luggage out of this plane for security and safety purposes. Please bear with us for a few more minutes. Thank you for your patience.”

After hearing that I could not help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. It was my first trip alone elsewhere without my family, without anybody watching my back except my basketball coach and a few of my team mates but still this was an achievement. My mother being overprotective won’t let me leave her sight and I was glad she did not tag along to this trip. At least now she is having faith in me but she will have a panic attack when she arrives at the airport to pick me up and not find me there. But then what else can I do but sit tight and wait as this slow torturous day play out.

A very audible frustrated cry came out of my lips and the person beside me nervously biting on his fingernails finally broke out from his thoughts and looked at me.

“Do you think they found a bomb under this plane that is why it’s taking forever for us to take off?” The boy asked me intensely making me nervous as well because of his deep stare.

“I don’t think so?” I replied wavering having doubts myself since he brought up the subject and then trying to make things realistic I continued. “And if there was a bomb they should have asked us to get out of this plane already so please stop jittering you are making me nervous and afraid as well.”

“I’m sorry…. “Still making a meal out of his fingernails he kept chewing on it. “ But this is my first plane ride ever in my life and am moving out of home for the meantime.” Finally taking those poor fingernails off his mouth. “So this delay is not really helping me at all.” Wiping his fingers and palms on his jeans he offered his hand to me. “I’m Kim Myungsoo by the way.”

To me then accepting that hand did not mean anything to me. I thought I was going to meet this boy and will never see him again but then destiny had other plans. I found myself in the same school, class and sports club as Kim Myungsoo. I was in our school’s basketball team and he was in our School’s football team. I was the most popular boy in school well not until he came and became a cocky “city” boy who thinks he owns the school and stole the title from me. But then to my credit I gave him the push to become popular in the first place without my influence he would have not become who he was then and now.

Summer Year 2009, Busan Korea

Sitting down on the porch overlooking the sea, I was carelessly stabbing unto the blueberry pancake offered to me by an exceptional cook, my mother. I was happily stuffing my face with pancake when someone cleared and politely sat across me in this very large oak table. It totally slipped my mind that we had house guests. Initially I did not give a damn but lifting my face off my plate I realized who was across me…….

The ever so prim “the other” best friend of Suzy, Ms. Choi Sulli. She had her hair tied in a messy knot above her head but then so it seems not a hair fell out of place, like the rest of her clean, ironed and crisp. So naturally I lifted my spine and using my left hand I tried taming my morning hair that stood attention straight in all directions. Apparently, my hair did not want to cooperate since it still stayed up. I sighed and just went back to eating trying my hardest to eat in a “refine” manner.  Since, I can feel the uncomfortable glances of Miss Prim who did not want crumbs falling off my chewing mouth.

I grabbed hold of my glass of water in an attempt to swallow down what I was eating but then Suzy had to make her presence known by slapping me hard on my back. I choked and ended up spurting half of the contents of my mouth across me, on Sulli’s nicely scrubbed face.

I heard her gasp, “It was the end of me.” I thought to myself as I closed my eyes.

I squinted and slowly opened my eyes to see Sulli holding back her temper while standing up quickly and disappearing inside the house.

“I’m so sorry!” Suzy spoke, trying to hold her laughter in.

I turned as I saw Suzy guiltily smiling trying her very best to keep a straight face.

I glared at her but that j