April 28, 1998, Monday

There I was, Choi SooYoung, exhausted from a long day of Japanese language classes. I threw my bag on the couch and slopped my shoulders as I read this new book called “Forgotten Season.” Mr. Takeda told everyone to do a report on a fictional-historical book weeks ago and I didn’t really bother to do one. Now who’s into reading these days, anyway? Oh well, the report is due in about a week. I have no choice but to start on it. Ugh, I hate extra classes!

To be honest, the book didn’t bother me that much, I mean, I find the story really great. It’s not that I’m into tragedy-romance stories, it’s just that I feel I could kind of relate with the situations in the story. I mean “forgotten season” is enough of a description for the life my best-buddy TaeYeon got into. I’m sure you get what that story might be about.

As I flipped through every page, my position on the couch would shift. Of course, until I noticed that my head already turned upside down, my face, turning red. The stuffy feeling made me sit upright again, but that’s not comfortable. So I stood up and leaned my body near the window. At least there I can read better with the sun shining through the dimmed room I was in. Sunlight is always a better lamp than room light.

Since the story I was reading was set in the Korean War, eventually topics of food that became popular at that time came up and my stomach started to grumble. I guess it’s that time again.

I marched to the kitchen and scanned the cabinets. Nothing. The fridge, even worse. It’s empty. Well… it’s not completely empty. It just didn’t have the exact dish my stomach was craving.

Getting hungry is like the end of the world. I have to survive by eating. I better get something to eat before it gets worse.

As I was about to enter a seven-eleven store, an ajjumma by the street got my attention. She was cooking up some food like a normal food-vendor would. She was cooking up ddeokbokki. Mmm… spicy rice cakes. Wow. I’ve never set sight at such a good looking ddeokbokki in a while… I knew in an instant, that ddeokbokki is going to be my snack this afternoon.

            “Thanks, Ajjumma!” I happily bowed my head as I received a toothpick and a cup full of those spicy rice cakes. I think my eyes comically widened as those heavenly beings were finally on my hands. This looks like good ddeokbokki alright.

I sat by a small bench just outside of my home and looked around. No one was watching and the street was silent. Well then, time to devour this thing. I know I should be reading, but who cares. I can do that later.

When I took one bite of that red-orange dish, I thought it was going to be the best ddeokbokki I’ve had in a while, but something tasted really off. It’s spicy… it’s chewy… what the hell is it missing? I chewed it as slow as possible but I still couldn't find what was exactly wrong. It was bland… or maybe it wasn’t? Man, I really don’t get. Something was just off.

You may think this is my favorite kind of street food. Maybe it is. I don’t exactly know. I guess it’s just a really nice comfort food for me. Eating ddeokbokki brings me back to the good ol’ days… yeah… those days.

Year 1992

            12 year old SooYoung’s stomach started to grumble as he watched everyone in the canteen eat their lunches on their own. He forgot to bring his own lunch. He also forgot to bring pocket money for something to buy. This made him really hungry.

            He nudged 13 year old TaeYeon, “Yah, can you give me a bite of your lunch?”

            “Give you a bite of what? I also forgot to bring my own lunch,” TaeYeon pouted.

            “Aiigooo this is the worst day ever! I might just cry out of hunger! I can’t go on like this!”

            “As if you’ll die,” TaeYeon scoffed. “Sheesh, you eat all the time. I don’t get why you’re still not fat.”

            “That’s because I have good genes,” SooYoung said. “Not like you who clearly look like you won’t get any taller.”

            “Hey, I’m still a kid,” TaeYeon grumbled. “Of course I’ll grow taller SOMEday.”

            “Tch. Yeah right, shorty,” SooYoung scoffed.

            “Watch it. You’re my only band member. Don’t let me throw you out.”

            “Ha, band member of what? All it consists of is a singer and a drummer. Nothing else. I don’t even know why I agreed to your stupid dream.”

            “That’s because you think I’m cool,” TaeYeon teased. “And besides, I told you, I’m learning guitar these days. Just wait. Our band will be great someday.”

            “Ugh, someday, someday, my . What I really want to know is when will the world have mercy on me? I’m sooo hungry.”

            SooYoung spotted a kid who sat by the bushes, who seemed to be enjoy his lunch alone. SooYoung stood up and walked toward him. TaeYeon just watched and didn’t want to bother.

            “Hey, what’s that you got there?” SooYoung said with his arms crossed as he looked down on him.

            “U-uh? Ddeokbokki…” he shyly said before focusing his attention back to the spicy rice cakes.

            “Can I have some, kid?” SooYoung arrogantly said.

            “S-sure,” the boy slowly handed the cup to him and SooYoung harshly snatched it away. He took a bite and nodded in satisfaction.

            “Thanks for this, kid. I’ll repay you back someday,” he said and walked back to TaeYeon without giving back the boy’s food.

            “W-what? Wait, that’s my lunch,” the boy wobbled as he nervously got up.

            “SooYoung, what the hell?” TaeYeon shook his head in disapproval as the ddeokbokki’s juices brim SooYoung’s mouth.

            “What? I said I was going to repay him,” he shrugged.

            “Are you?” TaeYeon crossed his arms to his chest, raising an eyebrow. This annoyed SooYoung.

            “Don’t give me that look, shorty!”

            TaeYeon grumbled and glared at him. He then welcomed the approaching nervous kid warmly. “Sorry ‘bout that guy. He’s a bit hard-headed when it comes to food,” he said scratching his head.

            “It’s okay… but can you please help me get it back? Ddeokbokki is really all I can afford these days.”

            “Sure,” TaeYeon nodded with a smile and turned his head back to SooYoung. “Yah, SooYoung! Just give the ddeokbokki back and I’ll buy you something to eat later.”

            “No way! Thish ish the besht tcheokbokki I’ve had in ‘while!” he said, his mouth clearly filled with ddeokbokki.

            TaeYeon stepped closer to SooYoung and thumped his head. “Obey your hyung.”

            “’Hyung’ my ,” SooYoung snarled. “We’re in the same class!”

            “It doesn’t matter because I’m still older than you. I don’t even get why I’m allowing you to speak informally.”

            “Eish…” Sooyoung gave in and handed the cup of ddeokbokki. Good thing he didn’t finish it all. If he had nothing left in that cup, he would be in serious trouble with TaeYeon.

            “Here you go um…”

            “Yuri,” the boy brightly lit up. “Thank you very much! Thank you!” he bowed 90 degrees three times.

            “Oh it’s nothing,” TaeYeon chuckled.

            “If you’re hungry I could share some more with you,” Yuri said.

            “AH! Really!?? YURI! THANKS! HAHAHA!”

            “I’m not talking to you!” Yuri said, distancing SooYoung from his ddeokbokki.

            “Gee, thanks Yuri,” TaeYeon said, patting Yuri’s back. “I’ll buy you a great lunch tomorrow. I promise that.”

            “Yah! How about me? You said you’re going to buy me lunch!” SooYoung grumbled as he wiped ddeokbokki juices from his mouth.

            “Here’s one last for you,” TaeYeon bitterly offered one dripping ddeokbokki in front of SooYoung and his eyes lit up.

            “Man, Taeng, you’re such a great friend,” SooYoung heavily patted TaeYeon in the back, outbalancing TaeYeon, and devoured that one ddeokbokki.

            Yuri disgustingly looked at SooYoung and whispered to TaeYeon, “I don’t like him. Why does he hang out with you?”

            “Yah, I can hear you, you know,” SooYoung growled.

            “Don’t worry about him. He just has no choice but to tag along with me,” TaeYeon laughed and SooYoung shot him a displeased look.

I remember that time real clear. The last piece of ddeokbokki that was fed to me tasted the greatest. Maybe it was because I knew it was my last ddeokbokki for the day that I cherished it too much as I chewed the soft spicy rice cakes. Yep. That last piece tasted the best…

After that day, the three of us would eat at TaeYeon’s table and Yuri and I would glare at each other. Yuri feared me and despised me while I hated him back. I didn’t want Yuri to be my friend and neither did he want me, but TaeYeon was our only friend so we were forced to hang out together whether we liked each other or not.

Usually I’d bully Yuri and we’d fight a lot but Taeng never does a thing to stop us. He just laughs at us like we're his children.

Yeah, we were really childish back then, I admit. TaeYeon was childish too because he often oiled fire to our rivalry... like that one time when we secretly tried to make him choose between us and he secretly chose both our sides...

Yuri and I never did get along well in the start. Even just having a fair share of how many pieces we’d get to eat of ddeokbokki was not an easy dispute to settle.

Our rivalry to be TaeYeon’s best friend didn’t cease easily. We were “friends,” but often curse behind each other’s back. Yuri and I were more frenemies than anything but I know there was a point in our life when our childish feuds with each other stopped. It took the arrival of the two American girls just to help us get along.

JULY 11, 1996, Thursday

(Talk to Me - Tiffany & Jessica)

“How would you like a cup of coffee? What would you like to say? That sunset that is resting in his eyes. It’s making me nervous,” Tiffany sang.

            There 16-17 year old SooYoung and Yuri sat silently watching the new American girls singing in their very studio. They still could not believe that SeoHyun, their 15 year old piano playing dongsaeng, brought the prettiest girls around. SooYoung and Yuri very much wanted to get to know them, especially the blonde girl who both took their breath away at first sight.

“What kind of coffee do you like? I want to know you better. That person in my heart… is like sweet caramel,” Jessica sang.

            “I like espresso, Jessica… to espresso my feelings for you!” Hahaha, SooYoung smirked by himself.

            “Wah, that was beautiful,” TaeYeon clapped his hands, applauding the two girls’ short performance. “You both are really great! Wow, Jessica, I didn’t know you were this good.”

            “Well, I tried,” Jessica shrugged and smiled directly at TaeYeon and they both stared at each other for a few seconds like they forgot there were other people in the room. SooYoung and Yuri both frowned as they noticed this. Just when they both had silly dreams of becoming her boyfriend, Jessica was already looking TaeYeon as if he’s her boyfriend.

            Earlier in the day, TaeYeon and Jessica did mention that they knew each other, but only as friends—not lovers. SooYoung wanted to believe this so he could have a chance with her, but it seemed the look on their eyes said something different. He became a bit jealous.

            “Anyway, guys,” TaeYeon suddenly stood up. “Our band practice is finished. Let’s clean up.”

            And so they started cleaning up. When they were almost finished packing the chord sheets and the instruments, SooYoung and Yuri approached Jessica shyly to ask her to hang out with them after. Since SooYoung had more confidence, Yuri let him go ask first. However, when he got to her, he was too late.

            “Hey, Taeng, let’s hang out some time,” Jessica said. SooYoung felt like turning to stone and growled silently.

            “Sure, we could all hang out after this,” TaeYeon replied. “We all have free time anyway so we could go grab something in the streets.”

            “Oh thank you, TaeYeon!” SooYoung sighed in relief. Looks like they could hang out with her after all.

            “No, I meant you and I only,” Jessica said, her eyes naturally showing a slight hint of aegyo for TaeYeon. “I haven’t seen you in a long time. I want to catch up with you.”

            Yuri’s shoulders slouched and SooYoung turned away, frustrated. Of course Jessica would want to hang out with TaeYeon only and not with nobodies like them.

            “Seriously, you guys sound like you had some history,” Tiffany snickered at the back. “You sure you both weren’t in a relationship?”

            “R-relationship? Tch, there’s no such thing!” Jessica softly slapped Tiffany’s arm. “We were just close friends.”

            “Ugh, I hope,” SooYoung rolled his eyes.

            “Sure, Jessica, I’ll tour you around town if you haven’t been already,” TaeYeon said, chuckling. “I still have time.”

            And so, TaeYeon took Jessica out and SeoHyun went along with wherever Tiffany wanted to go. All that was l