(The Year 1996 – and Dara is 10)

“Make a wish, Cheondoong!” Dara shouted, as her brother Sanghyun stood ready to blow out the birthday candles on his cake. He paused a moment to cast a scowl at his older sister’s nickname for him, and then turned back and blew out the candle.

“Yay!”

The next few minutes the group of little children from the neighborhood and Sanghyun's school watched as Mrs. Park began cutting and handing out cake, beginning with Sanghyun.

“Dara you help me pass out the cake,” her mother said.

Dara obediently began passing out the servings of cake. She gave a slice to Dami and Jiyong, and their other friends Seunghyun, Seungri and Daesung. She also gave cake to Sanghyun’s other friends from school Mir, Joon, Seungho and Minzy . Lastly she sat down to her piece and dug in. The cake was yummy and it wasn’t long before her piece was finished.

Dara her spoon and looked longingly back towards the kitchen table and at the remaining piece of cake.  She shouldn’t ask for it since there wasn’t enough for the others to have a 2^nd piece. If anyone should have the last piece it should be Sanghyun.

“Here noona,”  Jiyong said, and he pushed his plate toward Dara.

Dara looked over and then smiled at Jiyong. “It’s okay, Jiyongie. You go ahead and eat.”

“But I’m full,” he lied.

“Really? Are you sure?” Dara’s eyes lit up when Jiyong nodded. She thanked Jiyong as she took the other half of his cake and began to happily eat again.

Jiyong chuckled to see his Dara noona eating so happily. She was one girl who loved to eat yet but she never got fat. Even now both he and Sanghyun were already bigger than her.

Just then Seungri came up and sat on the other side of Dara.

“Noona, you can have my piece of cake too if you want.”

Jiyong frowned at Seungri and reached over to take away the plate of cake from Seungri. “Who said you could call her noona or give her your leftover cake?”

With that Jiyong stood up and pulled Seungri with him away from his Dara noona. He made Seungri sit on the other side of the room and placed his half-eaten cake in front of him. “Stay there and eat your cake!” Jiyong growled. “Don’t go by Dara noona again or Sanghyun and I will make you sorry!”

With that he stomped off, leaving Seungri to frown after him. “Aish, so grumpy,” Seungri complained, and resumed eating his cake.