21th April, 2004

"26..." a fine spring breeze blowed through the neighborhood.

"27..." it is hot but also chilly. A humid day in spring.

"28..." we were just little kids playing around on the play area, as always.

"29..." who would have thought we would drift apart like this.

"30!" I.., want to turn back time!

"Are you ready?~" a loud voice called out playfully.  It was the voice of a little girl on the play area around their neighborhood. Her hands were covering her eyes. "Not yet!~" different voices responded at the same time like a little choir. You could hear bushes ruffeling amidst laughter of the little children "Are you ready?~" she repeated again, this time turning around with one foot facing the play area, her hands still covering her eyes, getting impatient for looking around after the time limit was over. "Hurry up!" In the moment she wanted to repeat her sentence again for a third time, she got interrupted by her friends "We are ready!~".

She uncovered her eyes and got blinded by the sunlight which shone directly on the play area, enlighting the environment. After blinking and rubbing her eyes for several seconds to adjust to the area, a small giggle could be heard from the little girl "Ready or not I'm coming!" throwing her little arms in midair she made her way around the area in search of her friends.

Giggles could be heard everywhere but she did not know where exactly it came from. Searching around the framework of the play area, there sure was no one hiding. It was obvious but still there might have been someone hiding around it. She continued her search and made sure to look everywhere. Minutes passed and she thought about making an announcement.

With a deep breath she said "Jeez.. you are not supposed to change your place whenever I am near you. That is not fair!" she sighed. Again she only heard giggles and continued with her search, making her way to the other side of the play area. Scanning the area she found something or better someone under the bench of the park and paced over. "Found you!" she giggled and tagged her friend.

"Jeez.. I thought you would never find me. It took you long enought, Yesung." "You bend the rules again. I told you guys it is unfair if you change your hide place over and over again, Wonwoo!" she exclaimed with a slight pout not trying to be cute at all.

"Hurry up and find us!" "It's getting itchy here!" "Alright guys~" while Wonwoo sat on the bench where he hid underneath waiting for Yesung to find everyone he also protected himself from the heat. It was a really hot and humid day after all. Recognizing a little part of a skirt which was behind a tree she ran over to find Haewon. Scaring her in the proccess.

"Boo!" "Huh!" Yesung's laugh filled the play area."Scaring someone wasn't part of playing Tag, you know?" Haewon said with embarassment, embarassed of being a scaredy cat although it is just Yesung. "I'm sorry.. but you..should have seen your face!" Yesung continued with laughter in between.

"Enough. Just hurry up and find the others." "Alright, alright" Haewon went to Wonwoo, sitting beside him who sat on the upper half of the bench, his feets on the place where actually the belongs to.

Yesung had a strange feeling as if a presence was right beside her. Turning around for several times she saw nothing, only an empty play area. The feeling did not fade away so she made sure to look again. Nothing. Was she imagining? Did the heat on that day played tricks on her? It was frustrating and she quickly turned around to talk to Wonwoo and Haewon about it if she had not seen Hansol trying to run behind her. "Found you!" a quite but still a loud yell was heard from Yesung's mouth with her finger pointed at him while Wonwoo and Haewon could not contain their laughter any longer and bursted out.

"Jeez... why are you yelling?" Hansol covered his ears and closed one of his eye. The natural reaction of almost everyone when someone screams, he once explained. "You were making fun of me again behind my back, right?" Yesung asked irritated, hitting him on his head for a punishment. "Ouch..come on, it was just for fun" Hansol laughed and rubbed his head with an expression no one could really tell. It was a mix between happiness and pain. Trying to laugh it off. "Idiot" they turned around to see Jisoo coming out of his hide place as well as Eunseo.

"You are really no fun at all, Hansol. Stop teasing Yesung. The game would have been already over if you were not so uncreative of finding a hide place." Jisoo said somehow exhausted sitting on the ground, not caring about the fact that his clothes might actually get dirty. "Uncreative? What do you mean by uncreative? I am the Hansol Vernon Choi. The most creative boy in our whole neighborhood!" "Keep talking. I am the most creative boy in our neighborhood!" Jisoo said with ambition "No it's me!" Wonwoo interrupted and pointed at himself with a little smirk. They continued to argue on who was the most creative one while the girls just watched.

"We are friends with a bunch of uncreative idiots" Eunseo said in a mono-tone. "My goodness I am getting a headache because of them" Haewon touched her head with a sigh, signalling that she might get a heat if the boys continue to argue in the beat down sun.

Exchanging her view from a dazed Haewon and pokerface-looking Eunseo at the boys and the fighting boys she screamed with a loud yell and an arm bumped into the air: "Let's get some ice cream!" immediatelly getting stared on by her friends in confusion before they realize what she actually said.

"I'm going to be first!" "No, I'm going to be first!" 'You wish!" and so a competition between the boys started whoever arrives at the convenience store near the play area first and gets ice cream first.