3 months later- 1988

Inside the Lee household, everyone is getting up and ready to leave. Hyori’s mother knocks on the door and there is no response, so she knocks again.

 Mrs Lee: Hyori! Time to get up.

Hyori steps out from behind her mother, fully dressed and smiling. Her mother stared at her shocked, Dara walked out from her room wearing her PJ’s and rubbing her sleepy eyes. She looks towards her mum and realised that her mother was staring at something behind her, Dara slowly turned around and looked at Hyori, letting out a gasp, as her jaw fell open.

Hyori: Good morning! I’ve already had breakfast! I feel like a nice brisk walk before I get the bus! I’ll see you at the bus stop Dara! Bye mum

She turned and walked out of the door.

Dara: Mum, what’s the time? I must either be really late or Unnie must be really ill!

Mrs Lee stood there looking confused, she had heard Dara’s question but it still didn’t make any sense as to why Hyori was up this early. Then it hit her, and everything made sense.

Mrs Lee: I’m sure this was a once in a lifetime moment Sandara, let’s go have breakfast!

Hyori ran out from her house, the path was more or less empty except for a couple of men in business suits, and a few high school and middle school students by the time she reached the fields many more people were piling out of their houses. She ran right round the edge of the town, to the biggest house at the entrance of the town. From the edge of the street she saw Jong Kook walk out of his house and onto the street, he waved to his mother who closed the door. He turned and saw Hyori looking at him

Jong Kook: WAH! Hyori! Do you want to give me some kind of shock!?

Hyori smiled wider and nodded her head.

Hyori: Jong Kook! You look so different!

Jong Kook looked confused

Jong Kook: You saw me yesterday evening Hyori!

Hyori: Yeah, but you’re wearing a proper uniform.

Hyori looked down at her jeans and T-shirt feeling inferior.

Jong Kook: Hyori, if you have realised that I am wearing my middle school uniform, then surely you have realised we no longer go to the same school… so why are you here?

Hyori: Of course I know that we go to different schools! I am here to send you off!

Jong Kook looked around sheepishly. As much as he liked Hyori, having a kid following you to your first day at a new school wasn’t exactly what he wanted.

Hyori; I know what you’re thinking… don’t worry! I was only going to say hello and walk you to the end of the road.

Jong Kook instantly felt bad; he often wished he could be two years younger.

Jong Kook: Why don’t I drop you off at your bus stop instead?

Hyori: Because then you’ll miss your bus! Let’s just walk down the main road until we have to turn…

Jong Kook smiled at Hyori and started walking down the road.

Hyori: Just so you know, this is a one off.

Jong Kook: Oh! I know if Hyori got up this early again the world would collapse.

Hyori tried to look angry at Jong Kook but failed completely and started laughing, Jong Kook joined in and they continued teasing each other down the road until they had to turn their separate ways.

Hyori: I’ll go now oppa! Make some nice friends this time round. You deserve better.

Hyori smiled and walked off. All Jong Kook did was watch her leave, too shocked to do anything else.

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That evening there was a huge gathering. Jong Kook’s Dad (the town chief) was celebrating his 40^th Birthday. Jong Kook’s Dad sat down on a chair by the huge fire surrounded by friends and family. Jong Kook’s brother Daesung sat on his lap, while Jong Kooks mother sat next to him. Hyori’s family entered from the gate and approached the fire. Jong Kook’s father sat up and walked towards them, Jong Kooks mother followed quickly behind him.

Mr Kim: Welcome to my home, it’s nice to see some more familiar faces.

Mr Lee: It’s nice to be here! I hope you are having a good birthday!

Mr Kim: Very much so! Please come and join me by the fire. (Looking down at Hyori and Dara) Ahh! Hyori, Sandara. I’m sure Jong Kook will be glad you’ve come! He’s in the field outside the house with Chunhee.

Hyori: Thank you Ajusshi! Happy Birthday!

Dara: Happy Birthday!

Hyori took Dara’s hand and walked out the gate of the house, following the wall round she ended up in a wide field with a running stream at the bottom. Near the stream she could see two boys crouching next to another small fire. Slowly she made her way towards them.

Hyori: Oppa! Hello!

Jong Kook: Hyori! Look, Appa, said that we could have our own fire! But we have to be careful!

Hyori: Then why are you allowing Chunhee to stand so close to it then!

Jong kook and Dara started to giggle loudly.

Chunhee: Hyori-ah!

Chunhee playfully pushed Hyori, but she tripped immediately due to being caught unaware. Hyori screamed and started to fall into the fire, Chunhee tried to reach forward to grab Hyori, but Jong Kook grabbed her hand first, pulling her away from the fire and into his arms. Hyori started to cry out of shock. This was the first time Hyori had ever cried in front of Jong Kook, but out of instinct he slowly raised his hand and softly began to her hair shakily.

Chunhee: Hyori! I’m so sorry.

Hyori moved out of Jong Kooks embrace, embarrassed at her tears she wiped them away with her sleeve.

Hyori: It doesn’t matter, I wasn’t hurt. Why don’t we just play a bit further away from the fire.

She smiled warmly at Chunhee, who stopped looking like a strangled fish and smiled too.

Jong Kook: Let’s play hide and seek- Chunhee you can seek first!

Hyori and Jong Kook and Dara all ran off in opposite directions leaving Chunhee to count.

After playing for a few hours the children tired and hungry, walked back into the house yard to join the adults. They all sat together at the meal, displaying impressive table manners, until Chunhee managed to somehow flick fish stew at Jong Kooks dad. The whole table roared in laugher, while a bright red Chunhee was scolded by his mother.

Once the meal was finished, all the adults once again gathered around the fire. The children sat altogether on a different log. With a big blanket covering the four of them. (Going along the log; Dara, Hyori, Jong Kook, Chunhee) Both Chunhee and Dara were asleep in minutes; however Jong Kook and Hyori stayed up talking to each other for ages until they too leant their heads together and feel asleep.

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What neither of the two realised that this would be the last time they saw each other for months. Due to going to different schools, and Jong Kooks work pressures increasing, it was impossible to see each other during the weekdays. Then Jong Kook became the captain for soccer at school and for baseball, he had practise at the weekends to attend, Hyori started taking ballet more seriously she spent the whole of Saturday in lessons, the whole of Sunday was normally spent looking after her mother who was suffering from an illness that no doctor could define. This led to both of them drifting apart. The first time they met each other was two months later; Jong Kook’s soccer practise got cancelled and he agreed to meet up with Hyori.

Jong Kook: Hyori!

Hyori: Oppa!!

Hyori studied Jong Kook for a moment. He was taller and had wider shoulders- even his hair was longer. When he had called her name, he had sounded like a stranger, his voice sounded different. She probably wouldn’t have noticed if she had been around him daily but now that they had been apart she noticed every individual difference.

Jong Kook stood looking at Hyori, It was weird seeing her after all this time, the longest they had been apart was one or two days before. He realised with a shock that Hyori was not the baby in the fairy costume that he kept thinking her of, she hadn’t been that little kid for a while. Her chubby cheeks had become much less predominant, and her face had lengthened. Her hair had grown longer. He was shocked to realise how much taller than her he was, had he really grown that much? How much time had it been since they had last seen each other? Too long.

Jong Kook ran forward and stopped awkwardly in front of Hyori, a strong part of him wanted to hold her close to him, but that was weird. Hyori was also unsure of what next to do or say. So she hit him lightly on the chest.

Hyori: Next time Oppa, you better not stay away to long!

Jong Kook nodded, still feeling awkward.

Jong Kook: How’s erm, Dara and chuhee?

Hyori: There gunna meet us later on, Dara is playing with a friend from school and Chunhee is being punished for something, his uncle is in town and he is trying to train him how to be a man…

Jong Kook: Suroo hyung?

Hyori: yep! Anyways I told Chunhee we would go save him later!

Jong Kook: So what do we do now?

Hyori: I thought we could go to the house…

Jong Kook: Sounds like a plan.

Jong Kook was expecting the house to be dusty and dirty again since they hadn’t been there in three months, so was shocked to find it clean and cobwebless. Jong Kook looked confused at the house. Hyori saw he was stopped and then followed his gaze.

Jong Kook: Its clean!

Hyori: Oh! Well you see me and Chunhee have been coming here pretty much every day recently. Just because you weren’t here didn’t mean that we didn’t have fun.

Jong Kook nodded but still looked agitated.

Hyori: What’s wrong?

Jong Kook: Nothing.

Hyori: Jong Kook, tell me!? What’s up?

Jong Kook: Nothing…

Hyori: ahhh! Oppa!

Jong Kook: Well, I just think it’s weird that you and Chunhee came here alone.

Hyori: Oppa, are you jealous?

Jong Kook: NO!

Hyori: Then why would you be mad about just two of us coming, when there is only us two here now?

Jong Kook looked awkwardly around, and then replied.

Jong Kook: lets play a game or something, I’m bored.

Hyori, knowing better than to push Jong Kook, dropped the subject and started to get stuff out of her bag.

Hyori: Oppa! Help me with my maths work!

Jong Kook laughed and then moved next to Hyori, he knew that he could spend hours trying to explain it to her and she still wouldn’t understand, but he loved watching her concentrate and try hard, Hyori always looked prettiest when she did that.

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