Day 57 The First Friends I Made in Seoul
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| A month ago, Joo Kyung was so shy he wouldn't even walk beside me. |
I arrived at Mr Kim's home at about 7.10pm. Joo Kyung said annyeong in his usual shy tone and went up to the living room to play.
He passed the ball to me and when i advanced to his side of the living room to attempt to score, he became a different person. During that thirty minutes of living room soccer, he laughed and giggled as he pushed me when i had the ball. He would clamp the ball between his tiny feet and hop around on the carpet. Whenever he scored, he would raise his hands and do a victory run around the room as he yelled 'YEAAAA!!!'. Because of soccer, the ice between us melted and i got to see the playful and mischievous side of Joo Kyung. I may not be able to speak to him a lot, but sometimes these unspoken words become the strongest form of communication.
After dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant, we went home to rest for a bit. We sat on the carpet and chatted while eating peaches.
As Mr Kim got ready to send me back to the subway station, little Joo Kyung asked if he could come along. :')
The ride from the house to Hong-ik Univ. station was a short one. As the vehicle cruised along the streets, i looked out of the window and tried my hardest to remember the shops and restaurants at every corner. I love observing the shuffling of lives in the neighbourhoods. The car slowed down beside a zebra crossing in front of one of the subway station exits. Joo Kyung squeezed through the gap between the seats and shifted from the window seat over to the middle of the car. I poked his waist as i moved over and he cackled with glee. I thanked Mr Kim and Nam Myung repeatedly. When i opened the door and turned around to wave, my heart dropped to my feet. My gaze remained fixated on my dear friends in the back seat. Joo Kyung's face was almost expressionless as he waved and said the usual Byeee.
'Oh,... soccer noona is leaving ):'
I swung the door shut and the tinted glass formed a veil over their precious faces. Joo Kyung was staring and waving at me. I waved and bowed before i crossed the road. Turning around, i caught the black car disappearing into the sea of traffic. As i walked down the stairs towards the gantries, my heart became a floodgate of emotions. If i could release those pent-up emotions, i would flood the stairs with tears. I took a deep breath and held back my tears. With every step that i took, the distance between us grew further and further.
Thank you for being my first friends in Korea. I wish everyone health and happiness.
