[ 10 years ago ]

Ji Hee sat on the bench at the park, she wiped her tears with her sleeve. She  watched the other kids played happily in front of her.

Her eyes started to get teary again, she shut her eyes tightly and shook her head, trying her best not to tear up again.

Suddenly she felt someone sat right next to her, she opened her eyes and found a boy who looked like 2 to 3 years older than her worriedly staring at her.

“Why are you crying?” The boy asked in soft tone as he patted her back.

She lowered her head, her eyes became teary thinking of what she will bear. She covered her face with both of her hands and sobbed.

The boy hugged her, “You don’t have to cry, what’s wrong?” He asked again, patting her head.

Ji Hee backed away a little, “I have to go to America”, she said between her sobs. “I will miss Korea, my friends, the park”

The boy let go of his embrace and face her with a smile, “My name is Seobie, what’s yours?”.

“Ji Hee” She simply answered without looking at him.

“Wait here” The boy with the name ‘Seobie’ stood from the bench and ran somewhere.

After few minutes, Seobie came again with two ice-creams in his hands. He flashed her a smile before taking his seat, “I bought you an ice-cream”.

Even though Ji Hee’s eyes are teary and her emotions are mixed, she weakly smiled at him and took the ice cream. She started to eat it.

Both of them watched the other kids playing, they were very quiet. Then Seobie broke the quiet atmosphere, “When will you leave?”

Ji Hee the ice cream and answered, “Tonight..”

Seobie nodded and continue to eat his ice cream, “You don’t have to cry, you know”.

“But.. I will miss Korea” She stuttered a bit, wanting to cry again. But she shove away all those sad emotions and ate her ice cream again.

“How long will you be there?”

“10 years”

“What?” Seobie startled by her answer.

Ji Hee finished her ice cream by throwing the cup at the rubbish bin near the bench, “Yes, 10 years. My parents got a job there”

Seobie also finished his ice cream, “You will be back right?”.

“Yeah, after 10 years. I will be 19 that time, and by that time, I can live by my self” Ji Hee leaned back on the bench, watching the happy kids play.

Suddenly Seobie pulled out something from his pocket and gave it to Ji Hee, “I bought you something from the souvenir store”

She took  it and carefully glance at it. It was a necklace that looked like a wing. And there was a word on it, it says, ‘Friends’.

“I have one too!” Seobie excitedly said as he took out another similar necklace, “It is the other half of the necklace, you got the one with ‘friends’ on it and mine is ‘best’”

A curve formed on Ji Hee’s lips, “Thank you… um…”, she was stucked, she forgot his name by accident.

“Seobie!” He grinned.

Suddenly a woman stood infront of them, “Lets go home honey, you better get ready for our flight”.

Ji Hee stood up, frowning, “Okay umma…”

“You must be Ji Hee’s friend?” Ji Hee’s mother kindly asked seobie. He nodded and flash her a smile.

Ji Hee’s mum patted her back and said, “Say good bye to your friend”.

Tears started to roll down on her cheeks, she wiped it away with her sleeve and tried her best to smile to Seobie. “Good bye.. seobie..”

“Bye bye Ji Hee-ah, see you again in 10 years! I’m waiting for you, I promise!” Seobie said, waving his hands to her.

**