After you treated Myungsoo to lunch, you gave him the address to an electronics repair shop. You told him to ask for someone named Dongwoo. When he found Dongwoo, he was to mention your name, and Dongwoo could give him cool deals.

Myungsoo found Dongwoo easily enough, but it wasn't until then that Myungsoo realized that you never told him your name. So much for a discounted repair.

"Yeah... she's about this tall," Myungsoo gestured with his hand, trying to remember how you looked, "and her hair's black, about this long... she's weird, strange? Ah! Asian girl, maybe close to my age?"

Dongwoo didn't look convinced that Myungsoo knew you until Myungsoo mentioned the dragonfly hairpin you wore on your bangs. "Oh, you mean her? Yeah, okay. I know who you're talking about."

After a short chat, Myungsoo left the shop with a new but used camera, Dongwoo's actually, while his own got repaired. Dongwoo told him to come back in a day or two to exchange back the cameras. It wasn't like Myungsoo's, but it would make do.

❦

Myungsoo jogged back to the shop, panting.

"Oh, back so soon? You just left.. it's not ready yet." Dongwoo straightened his glasses, and sat back down on his stool behind the counter.

"I meant to ask you... do you happen to know what her name is?"

Dongwoo raised an eyebrow, his eyes widened. "Her? No. No one does. Everyone just knows her as the girl with the dragonfly clip. I don't think anyone knows her name except for her parents. Sorry, man."

"Thanks anyway."

❦

You had told Myungsoo to meet you at the same kite shop across the dunes the next day, bright and early. You arrived there ten minutes earlier than the scheduled meeting time, but noticed that Myungsoo was already there as you walked up the pavement towards him.

"If I'm here early, when on earth did you get here? Dawn?"

Myungsoo examined the sculpture of a sea turtle on the ground in front of him. "Dawn? That sounds about right."

"Why so early?"

"I remembered the wrong meeting time. What's this thing made from?"

You stared at him. Unbelievable. "Sand, obviously."

"Really? What happens when it rains?"

"Nothing. It's like, glued together or something. Solid."

❦

"So, what are we doing in here?" Myungsoo looked overhead at the different kites hanging from the ceiling.

"It's a kite shop. What else would you do here? We're getting supplies. Now, this one or this one?" You pointed to a green kite shaped like a frog and a dragon-shaped purple one.

Myungsoo frowned at your choices. "Why not something black?"

"Don't be depressing. We're going to have fun today... and I get to be your personal tour guide!"

Just then, you felt cold hands from behind you covering your eyes. "Guess who, guess who!" a voice playfully chanted.

"Yeol, I know it's you. Knew you'd be working today." You smirked and took his hands off your face, then turned around and gave him half a hug. "Mind giving me reduced rate today?"

"Only if you let me hold you like this forever," Yeol wrapped his arms around you tighter. "Just kidding. Of course! Anything for you, my love."

"You're grossing me out, Yeol."

"You're telling me." Myungsoo made a gag face and mentally groaned, trying to ignore you two.

❦

Myungsoo continued to drag his feet as you two walked across the highway up to the entrance of the dunes.

After ten minutes of walking around the store, you decided to get both the frog and dragon kites. Yeol even threw in a free pair of matching hats and shades, as well as a plastic board. Unfortunately for Myungsoo, they were all pink.

"Don't complain. It's cute, okay?"

After reaching the top of the hill where you and Myungsoo had first met, you kept walking further into the dunes as Myungsoo tried to keep up with you.

"Uhh. We're not climbing that, right?"

"Of course we are. At the top is the best spot for flying kites. Nice and breezy." You held out your arms, as if you were going to soar. "Now come on, we don't have all day, slowpoke!"

"I am not slow!" Myungsoo darted in front of you, but stopped too quickly, and nearly fell again. He managed to catch himself, and tried getting back up, using you for support.

"Hey, let go!"

"Say please, then maybe I will."

You frowned. "Please?" He shrugged and let go, walking away. "Jerk. You're going the wrong direction."

❦

Myungsoo told you to go up first. You thought about leaving him behind, but you were a nicer person than that. You stopped occasionally to see how far below you Myungsoo progressed. This hill was much steeper than the one by the entrance. It felt like mountain climbing, only except the nature below your feet sank your body downward with every step instead of pushing it back up against the earth.

"Just in case you fall, or something. I don't want Yeol to take me hostage or kill me if you got hurt or something."

"Right." You rolled your eyes. You pointed to the strap around Myungsoo's shoulder. "Your camera bag is sealed shut, right? I wouldn't want you breaking other people's belongings."

❦

Three-fourths of the way up, you stopped to check Myungsoo's progress again. You squinted your eyes to make sure you weren't seeing things.

"Hey," you called down to Myungsoo. "I thought you said you were physically fit!" He was barely halfway up, sitting in a heap of sand with legs spread apart, after having slowly trailed behind you the last five minutes.

"In my upper body, sure. My lower body is quite pathetic?" Myungsoo called back innocently. You groaned. This was going to be a long morning.

❦

Myungsoo finally made it to the top, ten minutes after you did. You two were the only ones there, and considering the time of day, it was pretty empty. You were already flying the frog kite; the string must have extended over twenty feet into the air.

Myungsoo sat down next to the other supplies lying in the sand, then pulled out his camera from the bag. He wouldn't want such a peaceful, relaxing scene to go to waste.

"Why are you just sitting there?" you called out to him, your back still facing the other way. "The wind right now is perfect for flying!"

Myungsoo glanced at the pile next him. He was left with the purple dragon kite. He chuckled slightly. The colour reminded him of someone he knew back home.

He grabbed the kite and walked up to where you were standing. You glanced over at him, while he stood there, puzzled.

"Don't tell me you've never flown a kite before." He shook his head. You stood there, dumbstruck, then decided to briefly give him a few tips and pointers.

❦

"You want to go flying?" you asked Myungsoo a little after he got the hang of moving around with and controlling his kite.

"Aren't I already flying this thing?"

"Yeah. But no, I meant you. As in you, physically."

"What? Don't tell me you have a plane or a chopper or something. You don't look that rich." Myungsoo raised an eyebrow, which immediately turned to a light snicker when a light bulb went off in his head. "Or are you going to give me wings?"

"Yeah, sort of. Let's go have fun."

"Sort of? This isn't fun?"

You stared at him. "Don't tell me you were going to stand here and fly a kite all day."

"Maybe I was."

"Let's go." You rolled up the string as you started pulling the kite back in, lowering your kite from the air. Myungsoo observed and copied your actions.

❦

When you told Myungsoo that you had signed him up for a day-long hang-gliding class, his jaw dropped.

"Wait. You did WHAT?"

"Hang-gliding lesson. Now you can fly! I'll watch."

"Oh, you better not leave me alone while I do this. Or else."

You shrugged and spread out a beach towel on the sand, keeping a fair distance from where Myungsoo was getting his lesson, but camped close enough to see his face clearly.

He looked like he had some difficulty understanding his instructor's English. You had advised the instructor before class started that Myungsoo knew proficient English, but you suggested that she spoke more slowly to him.

"Talk to him as if you were talking to a five-year-old kid. Use simple words."

The instructor chuckled, but nodded in agreement.

❦

"Oh, my god. OH, MY GOD, LOOK AT ME, I'M FLYING!" Myungsoo exclaimed at the top of his lungs.

Although barely two feet off the sand, he gently glided over the surface of the dunes, a wide grin fit for a satisfied child across his face. He tried to get your attention, but had some difficulty doing so since he needed his hands on the craft and his legs steady to continue gliding properly.

You had your eye on him the whole time. In fact, you had been busying yourself with taking photographs of Myungsoo's experience with the camera he brought. You looked up from the device and waved at him when he flew by, just a few meters away. You then smiled and applauded cheerfully for him.

You were glad that he was enjoying himself here.

❦

Myungsoo's class ended a little before noon. After he thanked his instructor, he lightly jogged over to you, where you were folding up the beach towel you sat on and dusting sand off your pants.

"Did you see me? Oh, my gosh, that was the most fun I've had since—" Myungsoo cut himself off. "Since... ever, actually," he said in a lowered voice.

You patted his back. "It's okay, Myungsoo. That's why today will be the best day of your life, okay? Don't worry, I saw you." You lightly punched his arm, playfully.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Just playing with ya, kiddo. Come on, let's go over that hill over there."

❦

When you got there, Myungsoo gasped, and his jaw immediately dropped at the sight of the marvelous scenery before him. In front of him was a small beach, and beyond that, the Albemarle Sound that separated the strip of land and the rest of the continental states.

Myungsoo noticed part of the shores fenced off, a sign posted in front.

"Locals are trying to restore wildlife habitat here. Careless visitors dump all sorts of trash here and there, destroying all sorts of plants that grew along this shoreline," you explained. Myungsoo seemed touched, but slightly confused. "I volunteer for this project."

"Oh. That's a great cause.. preserving nature, yeah."

Myungsoo thought back to all the times his father's construction company must have overtaken and demolished lands once untouched by man. All the times animals' homes must have been destroyed for pavements, building projects, amusement parks, resorts. He suddenly felt guilty. That company would soon go into his own hands, become his to control—

"Hello? Earth to Myungsoo? You still alive, Myungsoo?" You waved your hand up and down in front of his face after he stood there for a minute in a daze.

"Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? What are you apologizing for?"

"Never mind. It's nothing." You stared at him.

Now you were curious about what Myungsoo was pondering. Usually, you kept out of other people's business, but Myungsoo seemed to be an exception. You were starting to have a slight attachment to him. You felt the need to protect him, and wanted to see him happy.

❦

You and Myungsoo were back at the top of the big hill, where you had flown kites this morning. It was early afternoon, and you had more places planned to go to with Myungsoo.

Myungsoo looked over the edge of the hill and took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready for this. I'm ready to run down this hill." Myungsoo felt more confident this time around. He definitely wasn't going to spend the day with sand in his pants again.

"You want to run down? Feel free to. Run by yourself. I'm sledding down." You motioned your hand over to the board that you've been dragging around with you since this morning.

Myungsoo pulled on his hair, feeling defeated, frustrated. Here he was, ready to show off how manly he had gotten with his pro-running-downhill-skills, yet here you were, denying him of his pride, because you'd much rather slide downhill on a plastic board.

“Okay, what do I do?”

You stared at him as you set your board a few feet from the edge of the hill. “You’re kidding me, right? You’ve never gone sledding in the snow? Man, you must’ve been deprived of a childhood.”

You grabbed the kites and set them at the bottom of the board, then sat down at the front of the board on top of the kites. Then you motioned at Myungsoo to take the seat behind you. He did as he was told, carefully sitting down behind you.

“You can sit closer, you know.” You could feel that there was an unreasonable gap between where you and Myungsoo were sitting. “I don’t bite.”

“Can never be too certain.”

“Right. Now hold onto my waist, don’t let go, keep hands and feet inside the ride at all times. Have fun, and lastly, please do not scream into my ear.”

posted 02072011