7 Years of Life

“BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!” He had a fake gun on his hand and was running backward pretending to avoid the enemies’ attacks.

“YONGBAE AAH, GET DOWN! THE ENEMIES ARE GETTING CLOSER AND YOU HAVE NO GUN!” He screamed out loud to his friend and then, “AAARGGGGHHH!” He suddenly fell onto the ground throwing his gun away and continued groaning.

As he laid on the floor he made a painful expression. “YONGBAE AH, I’VE BEEN SHOT, CALL THE PARAMEDIC!”  His scream was getting louder and louder but he found still no response from his friend. He was getting annoyed then he changed his facial expression by glaring to his friend.

“DON’T YOU SEE YOUR FRIEND IS DYING RIGHT HERE?!” He yelled as he waved his hand giving a sign.

His friend turned to him putting a straight face. “You’re not really dying, Jiyong, beside don’t you see your friend is watching right now?” He just simply shrugged and continued gluing his eyes on TV.

Jiyong got up from the ground with a peevish face then he made his way approaching his friend to join him watching a movie.

“What are you watching?” He was still dejected.

Yongbae turned his head to Jiyong who was currently sitting by an inch apart from him. “I don’t know what its title, but it’s good anyway. You should stay here and watch it with me.”

Jiyong tried to focus his eyes to the movie but the more he was into it the more he felt sleepy. Five minutes had passed and he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Ugh, come on Yongbae ah, we don’t even understand what the translation saying, it is too fast to be read, why don’t we play outside, maybe we can swing, play kite or else.” He got up from the couch and was trying to pull his friend up, but it didn’t work.

“You can play by yourself for today beside we can’t stick together forever.” Yongbae released his hand from Jiyong’s.

“Why can’t we? Don’t you love me?” Jiyong asked with an angry tone as he sat back close to his friend trying to get to know why.

Yongbae laughed lightly as he tapped his friend’s head like a daddy did to his son. “I do love you, but you can’t stay by my side all along. We’ll grow up, Jiyong-ah.”

Without realizing Jiyong scratched his head giving his confused look as he spoke spontaneously. “Yes I know we’ll grow up, but why can’t I be with you?”

“I can't marry you.” Yongbae simply answered his friend’s foolish question.

Jiyong scrunched his forehead then smoothly poked his friend’s shoulder. “What do you know about marriage things? We’re seven!”

Yongbae tried to give his friend a thoughtful face.“My mom says I can only marry a girl, Jiyong ah, a boy will marry a girl, that’s why we can’t get married.”

“You can pretend to be a girl, I don’t mind.” Jiyong smiled slyly and started bouncing repeatedly on the couch expressing his satisfaction.

Yongbae chuckled at his friend and gave the tough answer. “Even if I were a girl, I don’t wanna marry you.”

Jiyong stopped his moves after heard Yongbae’s statement. “Whaaaaat? Listen, I will grow become a handsome-rich man, every girl in this world will marry me.” He crossed his arm feeling a little bit offended.

“You can’t marry all the girls in the world.” Yongbae protested as he shook his head slowly.

“Why can’t I? At least I wanna marry nine girls.” Jiyong counted with his hands then showed hesitantly his little tiny seven fingers to Yongbae.

“That’s seven, Jiyong ah. Are you failed in math again?” Yongbae sighed as he helped Jiyong to correct his action by adding Jiyong’s two more fingers so that it counted as nine.

Jiyong shrugged and bounced his again. “And anyway still, you can’t marry nine girls. That’s too many, do you have nine moms?” Yongbae’s eyes gazed up and down following Jiyong’s movement.

“No.” This time he bounced harder. “Hey Yongbae ah, I can almost touch the lamp!”

“That is why you can’t marry nine girls. You just need one girl to spend your lifetime with. Only one girl who can help you up high to touch that lamp.”