Jae and I hardly spoke on Thursday, each of us finding ways to be too busy to talk. Now I just had to get through Friday, which was our last day of camp. To celebrate it, Top had organized a day of games and contests involving all the kids. He had bought bags fool of toys, candies and clothes.

“No camper goes home without something,” he told us in the morning. We awarded a lot of the sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-place winners that day.

At lunchtime, the kids saw their own work mounted by Jae in the art exhibit outside the cafeteria. The artists were bursting with pride, especially when other people from the college stopped and admired their work.

I was standing in front of some of the paintings done by Yoochun’s kids, which showed people and animals mix of different words bubbling out of their mouths. Someone else was looking at them too, standing just behind me. Now Jae – I knew he was keeping his distance, staying on the other side of the exhibit.

“These are terrific, aren’t they?” I said, turning around. “Hyun Joong!” I exclaimed.

“Hi, Dara.” He gazed at me with those soft eyes.

“How do you like our masterpiece?” I asked him.

“They’ve got lots of colors,” he replied, smiling down at me.

If he ever wins the Olympics, I thought, he’s going to be an advertiser’s dream.

“But some of the colors, aren’t right,” he added. “Like that blue tree.”

“I love that blue tree.”

“It seems like there are a lot of petite girl in these pictures,” he went on.

“You noticed that, huh?”

“They make me think of you,” he said.

“Thank you.”

“There’s one with a petite girl wearing hearts all over her shirt.”

I smiled. “Mir, my outfielder, painted that. Remember, I told you about him.”

“Listen, Dara, I have a meet tomorrow afternoon over at SMU. It starts at 2 pm. It should be a real good one to watch.”

“Then I hope you get a good crowd,” I said. “Good luck. I know you’ll be great, Hyun Joong.”

“It starts at 2, but you might have things to do,” he continued. “My best event isn’t till about three-thirty. Come then. I know you’d enjoy it.”

“I’m sorry, I do have stuff to do,” I replied. “But it was nice of you to ask.” I meant it. Hyun Joong’s idea of a girlfriend was an adoring fan, but his invitation still boosted my ego.

“I…I guess I should have mentioned it earlier,” he said, he smiled and then slowly walked away. About halfway across the lobby he remembered his hero’s strut.

When Hyun Joong’s hunk of a body was no longer blocking my view, I saw that Jae and CL had been watching us from the other side of the exhibit. I tensed up. If Jae teases me about Big Bee, I’ll lose it, I thought. But CL said something to him, and he turned away before I did.

At 3:15 the kids lined up for the bus one last time, proudly clutching their prizes and paintings. There were hugs and tearful good-byes. This week seemed to me the week of hard good-byes.

When the bus finally pulled away, the other counselors and I watched and waved. Fifteen feet down the driveway, the bus stopped suddenly and backed up. For a moment everyone wondered what was going on, then the doors opened. Mir jumped down and ran to me with his painting.

“Here.”

“For me?” You want me to keep it?” I asked, staring down at the girl wearing hearts all over her shirt.

He nodded, pressing his lips together.

“Terrific. When You’re a famous ballplayer, can I bring it to the stadium and get you to sign it?”

“Goddess Coachie!” Lee Joon 76 ran toward us. “I forgot to tell you, when I grow up, wait for me. I will marry you.”

Mir shot him a dirty look. The counselors were taken aback. Jae looked like the kid punched him in the face. I laughed. They both hugged me, and then ran back to the bus.

The 6 of us walked quietly back toward the office. It was cleanup time, and I guess each of us was glad to have something to do while we thought our own thoughts about the kids.

I picked up equipment we had borrowed and carried it over to the gym. It didn’t take long to store the balls and nets in their closets. It was tempting to stay and shoot baskets, waiting for everyone to leave so I could avoid the last set of good-byes. I took out one basketball and dribbled it onto the court. At the foul line, I bounced it several times and set myself for the shot.

“Rebound!”

I turned to look at Jae. “When I shoot, I don’t miss.”

He raised his eyebrows.

I shot. I missed. Great, Dara. You’re an idiot!

He pulled the rebound off the board and dribbled past me.

“I’ve got to put that away now,” I said, holding out my hand.

“I’ve got to talk,” he replied, dribbling the ball close to me.

“So, stand here and talk if you want. I’m going to put this away.” I snatched the ball from him, but he grabbed my arm just as quickly.

“We’ve got to talk.”

“I can’t think of a good reason why,” I said.

“Dara, you look so unhappy, And I don’t know what to do to help.” The concern on his face was real, it just about broke my heart.

“Please don’t do anything.” I told him, tracing my finger a curved line on the basketball. “It’s not your problem, Jae.” I moved away from him. “Things aren’t great right now, it’s true, but I set myself up for this.”

“No,” he replied. “I set us up, when I started playing the Jessica game with you.”