Fall 2007

A boy was walking in the middle of Central Seoul Park in the cool evening that day. The park was almost seemed like one of those in typical horror movies: gloomy with dry leaves scattered around covering the grass and pathways. The cool autumn wind blew the leaves off the pathway, but too gentle to clear his walking path. Hardly anybody was seen in anywhere. They must have preferred sitting inside a café, sipping a cup of hot chocolate or a latte while enjoying their time with themselves, or with friends and family, he thought.

Family. His mind wandered to his graduation ceremony only two weeks ago. That day, he proudly stood in front of his high school fellows, teachers, and of course, his family, proving to everybody of his achievement of being the best in his school. Yes, he managed to be the top rank student of the year, earning praises from everybody. They all said his grade was high enough to enter some of the top universities in South Korea. But he simply refused. People should not be valued by merely a number, he insisted. The school achievement was merely something he needed to trade with something else. Something else that mattered to him much more than anything else in the world.

Music.

His parents were always against his taste of music. Hip-hop was a very foreign kind of music for his traditional Korean parents. He always loved and respected them, but he just could not forget his dream. So, he tried to get a win-win solution of this important matter. He had made an agreement with them, that he would only be allowed to pursuit his passion for music if he could beat everyone in his school to become the best student. And he finally did it. His parents kept their promise and let him do whatever he wanted with music. He, Bang Yongguk, would always fight away anything that comes between him and his dream. After all, he was indeed a fighter since the beginning, a rebel, …… a warrior.

He checked his watch, it’s almost 7 pm. He should hurry if he did not want to miss the performance of his favorite hip-hop group in one of the club in downtown Seoul. He liked to take a shortcut through this park, escaping from the hectic traffic of Seoul streets. As he made his turn on the next corner, he felt that his left shoelace was loosening. He stopped and was squatting to tie it again, when he suddenly heard a female voice, singing.

The tune was strangely familiar to him, and then he realized that it was the song that his mom used to sing to comfort him when he was a little boy. He kept his squatting position, listening to her beautiful and soothing voice. It was the first time for him to listen the song sung by other person beside his mother. Heck, he did not even know who the real singer was. But she could sing it very well, better than his mother. He closed his eyes, savoring her voice to his mind. When she finally stopped singing, he was still frozen in his position. Then, suddenly, her phone rang.

“Hello? Yes, eomoni” she answered politely.

Even her normal voice is beautiful, Yongguk thought, and then he frowned, disbelieving his ridiculous mind. But, something kept him listening.

I should not be eavesdropping to other people’s conversation, his sane mind spoke, but he ignored it.

“I’m just going out for a while, mom, to the park. Um, I am practicing for tomorrow’s audition” she said.

“The audition that I have told you about before, to the entertainment agency” she added. Then, there was a pretty long silence. It looked like her mother spoke several more sentences. She listened to it carefully, and then she sighed deeply.

“I thought we have discussed about it already, mom “, she finally spoke. Although she sounded a little bit upset, she kept her polite tone.   

“Please do understand that I really want to have a career as a singer. It has been my dream since years ago and I really mean it. I know mom and dad are not completely agreed to it, but please respect my decision. Singing is my life and I’m serious about taking my future with it. I am very happy when I sing, mom. You also want me to be happy, right?”

Yongguk leaped up at hearing her sentences. She was in the exact same situation as he was, well at least before. Now he already got his freedom. He sincerely wished that this girl would get hers. He really hated it when people disregard other people if they did not share the same opinion as theirs. But this girl seemed to handle it very well. He smiled.

“Arasseo, mom. Of course I would always be your one and only loving daughter. Both of you are still the number one priority for me. Thank you for your support for my choice of career, I promise I won’t let you down. I’ll be going home after this. I love you, mom. See you in a moment”, with that, she hung up.

Yongguk admired her courage, her perseverance, and her kindness. How she could stand for what she wanted while still keeping a respect and gratitude towards those who opposed it. It was even amazing how he could have this kind of perception over a girl he barely knew. He even did not know what she looked like.

Realizing that he was still in his squatting position, he quickly got up, wanting to take a peek of the girl who had just left a big impression on him. His cramped feet stopped him from going further. He stumbled and had to stop for a few seconds to let his blood flow returned to his feet. By the time he could move his feet and ran to the girl’s place, she has already gone.

I wish she gets accepted in her audition, he sincerely prayed.

Shoot, now I am already late, he cursed and started running outside the park.