Dating an Idol

Eight: THAT CHILDHOOD DREAM

[FLASHBACK]

Setting: Seoul, Korea

POV: 9-year-old Yuri & 11-year-old Skye

"Saengil chukha hamnida.

Saengil chukha hamnida.

Saranghaneun Yuri-shi.

Saengil chukha hamnida."

Haneul and his mom were enthusiastically clapping their hands after they sang me a birthday song.

"C'mon, Yuri. Make a wish and blow your candle now," Haneul's mom said after.

I glanced at the clock hanging on our wall and pouted. It's past 10 in the evening already and my mom and dad aren't home yet. They said they'll try to come home early tonight to celebrate my birthday with me.

But I only have Haneul and his mom now. I felt like crying.

They've been with us for almost one year now. And most of the time, I am left at home with them.

My parents were always so busy with work that I rarely saw them at home. My dad is a bank manager and my mom works as a tour guide. They would usually leave home while I was still in bed and they came home when I was already asleep.

I know that they were busy but still, they promised to come home early today.

"Don't cry! You'll look more ugly when you cry!" said Haneul.

I tried to throw a punch at him but he was quick to dodge it.

"Haneul, stop teasing Yuri," said his mom. "C'mon, Yuri. The candles are melting now. You need to make a wish before they melt completely."

"If you're not blowing your candles in two minutes, I'm gonna do it myself," Haneul warned me.

His mom glared at him.

"Don't be sad, you're mom and dad must be on their way. They'll be here any minute now. Now, make a wish and blow your candles," she said to me in the softest tone possible. She had always been soft-spoken. My mom's exact opposite.

Bingsu ran toward us barking. Haneul picked her up and cradled her in his arms.

"She's taking too long to blow her cake, right, Bingsu? Do you want to help her? You want to blow the candles yourself?" Haneul was talking to Bingsu who, at the moment, was trying to free herself from his hands.

I took Bingsu from him and hugged her tightly. I got her as a birthday present from my dad last year.

My dad wasn't able to celebrate my birthday with us last year because he was on a business trip. But he got me Bingsu when he came home the next day.

But at least my mom was able to celebrate my birthday with me that time. Unlike now. I only have Haneul and his mom. And of course, Bingsu.

"Tell her to blow her candles now, Bingsu, so we can eat already. I'm hungry," said Haneul.

I hugged Bingsu even tighter before I closed my eyes.

What do I want for my birthday wish?

Uhmm… I hope that mom and dad come home safely soon. I wish to have good grades, too. Especially in Math. I hate Math but I have to do well in Math or else Dad would get mad at me. He said Math is easy. I disagree but still, I need to do well in Math so he'll be happy.

Bingsu was softly whimpering in my hands.

I wish that Bingsu would be healthy, too. I wish her a very long life.

I scanned my brain for some more.

Oh! I also wish to have a copy of 2NE1's latest album. Please, please, please.

I think that's all… oh, wait! Just one last thing, I wish that I become an idol when I grow up! I want to perform on stage and make my dad and mom proud.

I opened my eyes and blew the candles!

"Happy birthday, Yuri!" Haneul's mom said, clapping her hands.

"Finally, I can eat now! It feels like my large intestines are going to eat my small intestines now because of hunger!" Haneul whined.

"Stop complaining." His mom stuffed a piece of rice cake into Haneul's mouth to shut him up.

That had me cracking up.

I saw her smile when she saw me laugh.

"Did you enjoy the seaweed soup I prepared for you this morning before I went out to go to the market?" She asked as she fetched something from the stove.

"Yes, I did. Thank you, eomeonim," I politely said before I let Bingsu go.

"That's good. Now here's your favorite adobo!" she said before she placed a bowl of adobo on the table.

"Yey! Adobo, my favorite!" I said, clapping my hands. For a moment, I forgot that I was feeling down.

My mom and Haneul's mom are both Filipinas. They met in a Filipino community here in Korea.

But my mom does not really cook so I had my first taste of adobo when Haneul and his mom moved to our house. It has become my most favorite Filipino dish since then.

"Here." Haneul handed me something when we finished eating.

My eyes widened with excitement. "A gift? You got me a gift? Really?"

I opened it hastily and squealed automatically when I saw what it was.

"2NE1? You got me a 2NE1 album? Is this for me?" I couldn't hide my excitement.

"Nope, that's not yours. That's for Bingsu," he said without even smiling.

He normally does that. He would remain poker-faced even if he was already joking. Though I don't really know if that's a joke or he was just being sarcastic. Not that it mattered.

"Eiii! Thank you, Haneul!" I said before I attacked him in a strong embrace.

"Stop hugging me!" He protested right away.

But the more that he pushed me away, the tighter that I hugged him.

Haneul's mom was laughing out loud while watching us.

"Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh-eh, 2NE1," I started singing after I let Haneul go.

"Stop singing. You're causing harm to my eardrums," he said.

I'm too happy to fight with him so I kept singing while checking, and even smelling, the album in my hand.

"Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh-eh, you better ring the alarm."

"You better listen to that well. Eomma's gonna deduct that from my allowance," he said.

"You want us to listen to this together?" I got even more excited. "You want to see me sing and dance to this?"

"Please, no," Haneul answered right away. "You're gonna make me throw up what I just ate."

I punched him on the shoulder and this time, he didn't see it coming so he wasn't able to dodge it.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed in pain. "Eomma! Yuri hit me!"

"Serves you right," his mom said.

I stuck out my tongue to him before I ran to the CD player in the living room. I put the CD on and started singing and dancing to it right away.

Haneul was complaining about how I was doing it the wrong way and ended up teaching me the right steps. I hate to admit it but he dances better than I do, even though he'd always say he doesn't know how to dance.

His mom was watching us happily.

It was a good day, after all. I didn't feel that sad anymore.