2 YEARS LATER (1985)

Jong Kook climbs slowly out of bed and yawns widely, he looks around the room and smiles it was Saturday, and that meant no school. He got dressed and ran towards the kitchen. In the kitchen his mother was busy talking to another woman.

Jong Kook: Good morning

Mrs Kook: Ah Jong Kook, you’re awake. There’s breakfast on the table!

Mrs Lee: Good morning! Kim Jong Kook! You’re looking happy this morning.

Jong Kook, peered around the kitchen looking to see if anyone else was around.

Mrs Lee: If you’re looking for Hyori, she’s outside playing with the dog.

He smiled and walked towards the door. His mother tutted loudly.

Mrs Kook: Breakfast first Jong Kook

Jong Kook turned frowning and sat at the table, trying to swallow the porridge as quickly as possible. As soon as he had finished, he smiled at his mother, washed up the bowl and ran outside. The two mothers continued talking, laughing at the children

Mrs Lee: Honestly sometimes, I think that your son has a small thing for my daughter

Mrs Kook: What are you talking about? (She said chuckling) They are too young for that kind of thing!

The mothers look out of the door and see Jong Kook creeping up on Hyori, who is currently waiting for the dog to retrieve the stick she threw. Jong Kook pokes her sides and roars. Hyori was so shocked that she fell over

Hyori: YA!

Hyori turns around and see’s it was Jong kook who pushed her. She jumps up, pushes him playfully and then smiles

Hyori: I was beginning to think you weren’t going to get out of bed at all.

Jong Kook looked shocked, normally this kind of action would have resulted in him being called a lot of bad names, and being hit for at least half an hour.

Jong Kook: Um Hyori. Why aren’t you mad?

Hyori smiled brightly again and pulled at Jong Kooks arm

Hyori: We haven’t got time, Chunhee is there waiting for us already, I want to show you something!

Jong Kook: Hyori, aren’t you supposed to be helping your uncle today?

Hyori: He can wait, this is more important!

Jong Kook: But you love helping out on the farm!

Hyori: Jong Kook!

Jong Kook: But there’s the little pigs, and the little black goats (Jong Kook puts his fingers up by his ears showing an animal’s horns and makes a makes a maaa noise)

Hyori gives him an awkward look and then pulls on his sleeve.

Hyori: AHHH! Come on!

Jong Kook: Fine, come on Madam Hyori, who must always get her own way.

Hyori: I am not a madam, I am a lady

Jong Kook burst out laughing which earned him another punch, before he was pulled out of the yard by his best friend.

The mothers are still standing in the doorway

Mrs Kook: I think it may be your Hyori which has a crush on our Jong Kook.

Mrs Lee laughs at Mrs Kook kindly and they follow the children outside but in the opposite direction.

Hyori was still dragging Jong Kook along, smiling and waving at the people she thought looked nice along the way.

Jong Kook: Hyori, where are we going?

Hyori: It’s a surprise, so just come quickly.

Jong Kook: Is it a nice surprise or a Hyori surprise?

Hyori: It’s a special surprise.

Hyori let go of his arm and started running up the track. Jong Kook followed walking slowly behind her, he had never ventured this way out of the town before, even though he had lived here all his life, everyone knew that the land on this side of the town was inhabitable and steep.

Jong Kook: Hyori? Is this some kind of adventure?

Hyori turned off the path ahead and walked boldly into the woods as though she had seen some kind of sign. Jong Kook sped up so that he didn’t lose her, carefully picking his feet over low branches, weeds and roots, Jong Kook caught Hyori’s arm

Jong Kook: Let’s turn back to the path, you are gunna get us lost!

Hyori laughed and pointed, Jong Kook could see that there was a clearing ahead so he allowed himself to be pulled the last three hundred yards through the trees. In the clearing there was a small house. From the outside it was clear that the house hadn’t been used in years as there was birds’ nests on the roof and cobwebs hanging from walls.

Chunhee: You’re finally here! I thought you would never arrive!

Hyori smiled mischievously and pulled Jong Kook towards Chunhee’s head which was poking out of a window.

Hyori: You have to climb through here as the door is locked.

Jong Kook climbed awkwardly through the window and into the house. He had expected it to be completely dark and covered in bugs, but he was surprised to find that the windows had all been pushed (forced) open, and a cloth covered in dust and dirt was at one end of the room showing it had been cleaned by one of them.

Behind him Hyori was scrambling through the window.

Hyori: Well do you like it?

Jong Kook: It’s amazing; I would have never thought that this existed,

Hyori: This is the new hideout because I apparently stole your last one about two years ago.

Chunhee: Isn’t it amazing hyung!

Hyori: Of course it’s amazing!

Jong Kook smiled broadly at his friends, and then paused anxiously.

Jong Kook: No one lives here right?

Hyori: Of course not.

Jong Kook: Then let’s live here!

Hyori: Really! Let me go home and get my stuff

Hyori smiled brightly and started making her way towards the open window. Jong Kook grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.

Jong Kook: Not now you idiot! When we grow up, we will all live here together.

Hyori looked hurt and sat down on the floor in a huff. But Chunhee turned expectantly towards Jong Kook.

Chunhee: Me too?

Hyori looked up from the floor; Jong Kook looked confused by the question, whereas Hyori looked shocked.

Hyori: Of course you too! Why wouldn’t you?

Chunhee: Because when we grow up, you two will get married, so the-

Hyori: Married?

Chunhee: Sorry! That’s what everyone says…

Hyori: What does everyone say?

Chunhee: That you and Jong Kook will get married together one day.

Hyori: Whatever! Jong Kook is my brother! And so are you Chunhee!

Chunhee: Yeah whatever Hyori, I often think I’m your servant rather than your friend!

Hyori hits his arm playfully

Hyori: Ya! Why didn’t you tell us before! You are our friend of course silly!

Jong Kook smiles and laughs at his friends. They sit around talking and then they all continue to clear up the dirty house. Slowly the sun got higher and higher in the sky. Three stomachs started to rumble.

Jong Kook: Hey guys, let’s get back home, I’m hungry!

Hyori ran towards her bag and brought out some kimbab.

Hyori: Our mothers aren’t expecting us back any time soon, they told us to be back before it gets dark.

Chunhee stands up and hits his head on the open shutter of the window. He cries out in pain. Hyori and Jong Kook first look round in worry, but as soon as they see what he has done, they struggle to contain their laughter. Hyori catches Jong Kook’s eye and they both burst out laughing. Chunhee looks up angrily. This causes the pair to laugh even harder.

The day passes quickly full of fun, teasing and playfulness. Hyori looks at the sky and see’s that the sun has disappeared from the cloudless sky.

Hyori: Oppa! Let me have a look at your watch!

Jong Kook turns from Chunhee, and walks towards Hyori, holding out his arm. Hyori looks at the watch with high interest for a whole minute, pointing at various aspects at it and muttering, all with a very content look on her face. Finally she looks up with a determined look

Hyori: It’s about time we leave.

Jong Kook clocked on straight away, smiling and nodding at Chunhee, who sat in the corner oblivious, he followed Hyori as she went to go pick up her bag from the other side of the room.

Jong Kook: What’s the time Hyori?

Hyori freezes panicking, she doesn’t turn but calls out unconfidently.

Hyori: You can tell the time can’t you? Why don’t you just look for yourself?

She continues scrounging around the house, picking up various toys and rubbish they had brought with them.

Jong Kook changes his tone from scornful to full of worry.

Jong Kook: Hyori, can you still not tell the time?

Hyori: I can I just think-

Jong Kook: Hyori, don’t lie to me.

Hyori stops picking up things, stands and turns. She looks straight at Jong Kook.

Hyori: No I can’t and I don’t care. I don’t even understand why I have to go to school; it is so boring and stupid.

Jong Kook walks towards Hyori and takes her arm and says seriously to her.

Jong Kook: School may be boring, but you still need to listen and learn.

Hyori: Why should I!? You never used to listen in school! I’ve heard our mothers talking together! You used to be really bad; all of the teachers struggled to get you to even listen for five minutes! You used to say that school was pointless because you would just get famous and earn lots of money.

Jong Kook: Yeah I did used to say that Hyori, but that was two years ago, before you knew me. School is important; even if I waste my education you shouldn’t waste yours.

Hyori: I don’t care and I don’t understand why I should listen to your views anyway!

Jong Kook: Because I’m not friends with dumb people.

Hyori shut up and once again turned her back to Jong Kook. She was confused and angry. Picking up the last crayon on the floor, she grabbed Chunhee and pulled him towards one of the windows.  She pulled herself over and out of the house and waited for Chunhee to join her. Jong Kook jumped out of another window and walked behind them, protecting them, and keeping the distance that Hyori wanted between them.