Jjung, Ssul and AJ: Age 8/10

“Die, die, die!” shouted AJ hyung excitedly.

We were playing video games over at my house and the competition was intense. “Take that, and that!” I cried back. My hands were starting to cramp up from smashing the buttons on the controller.

“HAH! Yeah, I won,” he gloated.

I frowned in disappointment. “Yeah, well, my hand was cramping up.”

He chuckled and patted me on the head. “Right…”

AJ hyung and I had become really good friends since our first encounter. He would meet me in the morning so I didn’t have to walk to school alone. We hung out after school almost all the time. I had a feeling that he made friends with me easily because I spoke English but he’s really become almost like a big brother to me.

(Buzz. The door bell buzzed.)

“I’ll get it!” I yelled as I walked over to the front door. I opened it to find Ssul holding a small box. “Hey, Ssul. What are you doing here?”

“My mother told me to bring this over. It’s for your mother,” she answered in a sing-song manner. “Ahem! Did you just call me Ssul? Shouldn’t you be calling me…”

I put to hand over to stop her. “Ssshhh! My friend will hear you.” I felt her giggle under my hand and I let go.

“Oh, you have a friend over? Who is it?” she asked as she pushed the door completely open. She looked into the living room to find AJ hyung sitting in front of the television. She immediately invited herself in, walking past me and towards hyung, shoving the box into my hands.

“Hello. I’m Choi Sulli, Jjung’s neighbor,” she introduced herself.

“Hello. I’m AJ. I’m Jjung’s friend from school. Actually, I’m his sunbae but we became friends,” hyung explained.

“He’s from the United States so if his Korean sounds weird, just ignore it,” I chimed in after delivering the box to my mother.

Ssul’s eyes widened in curiosity. “Really? That’s cool! What’s it like there? Is it very different from here? Do you miss it?” The questions rolled out of her tongue so quickly that she ran out of air.

Hyung laughed. “Uhm… I didn’t really get all that but yes I miss home a lot. But Jjung here has made it easier for me. I was lucky that I found a friend who could speak my language.”

Ssul turned to face me. “My Jjung speaks English? Since when? I’ve never heard you speak it.”

“Well, there wasn’t any reason to. Besides you never asked,” I answered sarcastically.

“Your Jjung? That’s cute. You guys are a couple or something?” asked hyung with a cheeky grin on his face as he nudged me on the back with his elbow.

“NO…!” I replied quickly and with emphasis. I felt slightly horrified and I could feel myself blushing. “We’ve just known each other for over a year now.”

“Yeah.” She pinched me on the cheek. “This rascal is like a brother.”

I pulled away from her grasp and rubbed my cheek. I gave her a death glare as if to tell her that she was dead meat if she ever did that again. She just giggled in return and gave me an eye smile. I felt myself soften.

“Hey do you want to come with us to the park?” hyung asked, changing the subject.

“Sure oppa. If that’s okay with you, Jjung?”

I shrugged.

AJ hyung put his arms around the both of us. “Great. Let’s go.”

(Later at the park...)

“Aaahhhhhhhhh!” A loud shriek came from behind me.

I turned around just in time to see Ssul run towards me and flung her arms around me. She held onto me tightly while making whimpering sounds. I was too dumbfounded to say anything.

“What’s wrong Ssul?” asked AJ hyung.

“They’re scary, oppa! Save me,” she cried.

“What is?” I finally asked snapping out of my shocked state.

“The birds. They’re chasing me. I’m scared!” she exclaimed as she tightened her hold on me causing me to feel a little uncomfortable.

Hyung ran towards the birds causing them to draw back. “Don’t worry, Ssul. Oppa will protect you.”

“It’s okay, Ssul. Hyung chased them away,” I tried comforting her. I awkwardly her hair. “And I won’t let them get you either.” I was quite surprised that she was so afraid of birds. Sometimes I forget that she’s just a girl because she was always so tough, even tougher than I was sometimes. I didn’t know what else to do.

She finally let go of me. I could see that she was still a little frightened as she lightly clung onto my shirt sleeve.

“They’re gone. You can relax now,” hyung called out as he ran back towards us.

“I… I think I want to go home now,” Ssul said softly, tugging on my shirt.

“Okay, okay. Jjung, why don’t you take her home. I have to be headed home too anyway,” hyung instructed me.

I nodded. I waved goodbye and so did Ssul, still holding onto me with one hand. “Let’s go.” We headed off for home while hyung headed in the other direction.

“Uhm, Ssul…” I started.

“Yes…?”

“Uhm… you’re pulling my shirt,” I finished awkwardly. I wasn’t sure how I should have said it without it being weird.

She finally let go. “Sorry,” she apologized with a puppy-dog look. I could tell she was still a little upset.

I felt bad and a sudden need to be protective. “Don’t worry, you have me,” I said shyly. I didn’t know why I said that.

“Jjungie, I’m tired,” she pouted.

I hesitated slightly. Then I got down and positioned myself for a piggyback. “Get on.”

“No, that’s alright,” she politely declined.

“Don’t worry, just get on,” I pressed still bent over.

She thought about it and decided to get on. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I steadied my hold on her legs. Just like that, I carried her all the way home. We remained silent the entire time.

“Thanks for carrying me all the way back,” she said as I dropped her off at her front door.

“I’m always here for you noona.” I shifted my eyes, unable to look directly at her, feeling embarrassed at what I had said.

A smile crept across her face. The first since the incident at the park. Then she kissed me on the cheek. I was left paralyzed. I couldn’t even react before she entered her house and closed the door behind her. I felt like minutes past before I could move again. I was still in a daze when I got home. That was my first kiss (bobo).