Silence filled the air and I decided to break it. “You know, we were talking for a while now and we don’t know each other’s names yet.”

 “Yeah, I noticed that too,” he said staring at me and then extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Choi Seung Hyun.”

I lifted my hand which is still throbbing from his slap and shook his hand. “I’m Sandara Park.”

“Sandara,” he said. “Such a cute name.”

“Thanks. Yours is nice too,” I complimented.

He smiled. And I was stunned by how his small smile can light up his face just like that. If I said that he was charming before even when he was grumpy and all, he was more charming now that he smiled.

“Uhhh…” I said, suddenly not knowing what to say next. I looked away immediately to hide the redness of my face. “Why didn’t you… uhhh… wanted to be my friend at first?”

“I’m not the friendly type, you know? I’m like this even when I was still in Japan.”

“Really?” I turned to him again. “Me too. For the record, you’re the first person I approached.”

We both giggled. “You’re so nice, Ssantoki.”

“Ssantoki?” I gasped.

“Oh, did I just say that aloud?” he said, shocked. “Well, the first time we met at the see-saw, you really reminded me of a rabbit,” he said, laughing.

I laughed too. “As long as it’s a cute rabbit.”

Then, silence. He got something from his pocket and it was an eyeglass.

“You wear things like those?” I asked.

“Yes. My eyes usually hurt. Most of the times, it’s because I cry for too long. And recently, they hurt quite often.”

“Then you should use that permanently now,” I said and stared intently at his face that made him blush. “You look cool with glasses on, you know.” This made him blush more.

“Let’s go back to the camp,” he offered.

“Okay,” I started to stand up, and I was shocked at the warm hand holding mine.

“Let’s walk together,” he said. This time, I was the one blushing.

When we arrived at the camp, they were relieved to see us both okay and even shocked to see us walking side by side. My mom and his mom are preparing for dinner (I never knew we were out for so long), and my dad is out on the woods looking for lumbers for campfire.

“Let’s climb that tree while waiting for dinner,” I offered.

“Sure.”

“Oh, sorry I told you that you don’t know how to climb.”

“And I’m sorry I told you that you were a monkey,” he said and we both laughed.

We stayed at the top of the tree overlooking the camp. Since our parents were busy, we were just chatting about our lives. But most of the time, he talked about his life in Japan, his school, his dreams of becoming a composer, and his relationship with his father.

“Are you staying here for good?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m even entering school after summer break,” he said.

“Really?” I suddenly said, unable to hide the excitement in my voice. “Where will you study?”

“Korean Elementary School.”

I shrieked in excitement. “We would be classmates, Seung hyun!!!”

He stared at me in surprise. He was taken aback by my shrieking. I think even our mothers were shocked too.

“Promise me, you’ll make sure we would be classmates,” I told him, reaching out my pinky finger.

He curled his pinky finger on mine and said: “I promise,” and smiled.

“Dara!” my mom called. “Can you help me here?”

Mom is getting prepared on the setting of our meal. Seung hyun’s mom and my dad are preparing the tent where we’ll be sleeping.

“I’ll help mom first, okay?” I told him.

“Then, I’ll stay here for a while. I’ll go down, just call me for dinner.”

I helped mom prepare the table. When I was done, I quickly ran towards the tree to call him for dinner.

He was already on the foot of a tree, standing with his back turned to me. “What are you doing?” I asked.

He jumped in surprise and turned to me. “Uhhh… umm… nothing.”

“What’s behind your back?” I asked suddenly noticing his hands hidden behind his back.

“Nothing. Come, let’s eat.”

Dinner has passed…

“Who wants to sleep on the sleeping bags and outside the tent?” Mom asked.

“Me!” Seung hyun and I said together. We chuckled.

“Okay,” his mom said. “Dara’s mommy and I will stay in the tent. Mister Park will be with you outside.”

The night sky wrapped around the woods and the wind became cold as ever. We were wrapped around our sleeping bags with our bodies shivering from the cold.

I was sleeping between Dad and Seung hyun. I found myself just staring blankly up the starlit sky. The night sky was so vast and filled with twinkling stars that I just wanted to count all of them until I fall sleep. But I don’t feel any drowsiness yet. My eyes were wide and not yet tired. I recounted the day’s happenings.

Seung hyun and I, ignoring each other on the van.

Me, trying to get his attention when I stumbled while hiking.

Him, calling me a monkey while I was on the tree.

Me, looking for him on the woods when he ran off without a word.

Him, slapping my hand when I tried to comfort him.

Me, successful on trying to comfort him.

Us, friends.

Us, best friends.

Us, tonight, sleeping under the same beautiful starlit sky.

“The stars are so beautiful to look at,” I exclaimed in a soft voice so I can’t wake Dad and Seung hyun up.

“I agree,” Seung hyun suddenly said.

I stared at him who’s also staring up to the sky. Oops. Did I wake him? I thought.

“I thought you were asleep,” I stammered. “Did I wake you?”

“No, I wasn’t sleeping, my eyes were just closed.”

“I can’t sleep too,” I said, staring back to the sky.

Silence… a shooting star fell.

“Omo, make a wish. Quick!” I said and closed my eyes concentrating on my wish and nothing else. When I opened them, I stared at him who must have finished wishing.

“What did you wish for, Ssantoki?” he asked.

“I wished that I can keep my promise of staying beside you and that our friendship will last… forever,” I said in a soft voice. “How about you?”

“It’s a secret,” he said, smirking.

“It’s not fair!” I complained but let it off just as soon.  “You know, I’ve always dreamed of staring at the night sky with a friend.”

“You’re lucky that you have me then,” he said.

“I guess I am,” I agreed.

Minutes have passed… no one talked between us.

I woke up with a start. Seung hyun and dad are nowhere to be seen.

“Ssantoki!” Seung hyun called. “We’re here.”

I got up and saw them preparing our things. We are going to leave this beautiful place. But before we leave, something came to my mind suddenly. I don’t know why it just came to my mind but I know I have to accomplish it right now.

I stood up and went to the tree we climbed yesterday. I remembered Seung hyun facing the tree and his back turned to me. I got curious. I went to the tree and examined it. I don’t know what’s so interesting with examining this tree. I looked it up and down to see what’s amazing with it. Then I remembered him not looking up or down but just straight – eye-level, perhaps. I fixed my eye level and saw something really unexpected.  Something was carved on its trunk – my name… a heart… and his name.

Sandara <3 Seung hyun

I was dumbstruck with the image before me, unable to grasp the meaning behind what’s carved on the tree. Why did he carve this? Why didn’t he show me this? Was he embarrassed?

Thinking about his embarrassment, I felt my face heat up.

“Dara!” my dad called.

I turned. The redness and heat of my face not yet cooling off.

“We’re going home!”

The excitement during the camp finally ended. In the van, we sat next to each other – him, on the aisle, while me staring blankly outside the window.

“Thanks, Sandara,” he said suddenly, his hands closing in on mine. “This has been a very nice experience with you. I want to thank you for being my friend, too.”

I gazed at his eyes. Sincerity is very clear on them. But my face is still heating that I immediately looked away. “Tha – thanks too,” I stammered.

Summer had passed and I went to school excited, expecting Seung hyun as our new classmate. And he was. And I was very happy that the whole day, we were just together, chatting with each other. After class, we stayed under one of the trees at school.

“I have something to tell you, Ssantoki,” he said suddenly.

I stared at him and listened intently.

“I like you,” he said. This made me widen my eyes. “From the first time you tried to approach me and played with me, I liked you. You were the reason why I’m happy like this now. Whenever I’m with you, I’m very happy. You made me forget the grumpy side of myself and all the dark days I had before I met you.”

I was speechless. I’m 10 and I got the first confession in my life. And I didn’t expect it. When I saw the carved writing on that tree, I shrugged it off, trying to convince myself that it’s not because he liked me.

I stood up and stared at my watch. “Oh, I’m going home now. My mom told me to go home straight because –“ I said, and trailed off, not able to think of any alibi. “Anyway, bye.”

I ran off to the direction of the bus station. Korean Elementary School was farther from my house than our present school so I had to ride a bus. I don’t usually ride alone. I ride with Seung hyun but what he said made me very embarrassed that I can’t wait to lock myself in my room and think about everything he just said.