Chapter 2: An Unexpected Master

It was true that I had felt profoundly bored just moments before. Only a minute ago, that sentiment had been undeniably present.

Yet, despite my boredom, I hadn’t wished for anyone to arrive.

“What is this? Why does the ball keep escaping?”

Especially not someone who required so much attention.

“This ball is really odd.”

‘That’s impossible.’

“Look. A basketball is supposed to be a little softer, but this one feels like it’s about to burst.”

‘No, it’s not.’

“Or maybe the air’s wrong? Is it defective?”

‘…Absolutely not.’

He had suggested we play together, but playing together was an impossibility. There was simply no way, no conceivable method, for us to play in tandem.

Even when I first started playing basketball, it wasn’t this bad.

Seo Gi-hyeon’s basketball skills were beyond abysmal; they couldn’t even be called skills. His hands, as pale as if they’d never seen sunlight, couldn’t properly grip the ball, as if he’d never touched one before. The moment he finally managed to hold it, a single dribble would send the ball careening far away. He’d retrieve it, grip it again, and the result was always the same, time after time. It was truly the worst of the worst.

I later learned that Seo Gi-hyeon excelled at everything except sports.

“The ball will slip if you hold it like that.”

“Huh?”

“You need to spread your fingers wider than that and grip it firmly.”

I took the basketball from Seo Gi-hyeon, who was holding it clumsily, and demonstrated the proper technique. Yet, his haphazard grip remained unchanged.

“Here. Do it like this. If you just grab it any old way, you’ll hurt your fingers.”

Ultimately, I took his hands and guided them into the correct position. Only then did Seo Gi-hyeon properly grip the ball. He bounced it a few times on his own before spinning around to face me, his eyes wide with wonder.

“From today on, you are my master.”

‘I don’t want a disciple like you.’

A snicker escaped me, utterly dumbfounded.

The basketball practice, originally intended for a quick bounce before heading inside, ultimately deviated from its plan. After numerous attempts, Seo Gi-hyeon began to adopt a somewhat proper stance. Of course, most of the effort had been mine.

After nearly an hour of this ‘non-exercise’ in such weather, I was drenched in sweat. Feeling as though I might truly collapse from exhaustion, I suggested we stop, and Seo Gi-hyeon nodded vigorously. His fair face was flushed crimson.

“Let’s sit down for a bit.”

“There? That’s direct sunlight.”

The very person who had been running around under that sun now started lecturing me on the dangers of UV exposure. He prattled on about subcutaneous fat and skin cancer. Though the heat was stifling and his words baffling, I felt more surprise than irritation.

It was astonishing how much he knew, despite his appearance.

When I first saw Seo Gi-hyeon with his bright yellow hair, I assumed he had no interest in academics. While judging someone by their appearance was certainly not right, after exchanging a few words, I found it even harder to shake that thought. Seo Gi-hyeon’s personality was also far from calm. Very, very far.

In fact, what surprised me even more was when he first revealed his age.

‘Oh, he’s the same age as me. Nice to meet you, friend.’

I never would have imagined we were the same age. Beyond his small stature, his overall image simply didn’t look like someone my age. I had naturally assumed he was younger.

“If we go to the back, it’s shady, but the ground is crawling with bugs. Are you okay with that?”

“No.”

“If you don’t like that, then we can go to the pool.”

“The pool?”

“If you live here, you can get in. Even though it’s outdoors, there’s a canopy, so you can avoid the sun, even if it’s a bit hot.”

“Where is that?”

“At the entrance.”

Seo Gi-hyeon made an even more displeased face than when I’d mentioned the bug-ridden ground. From where we stood, reaching the complex entrance would be quick by car, but at least 15 minutes on foot. On any other day, it would have been a pleasant stroll, but in this sweltering heat, even a hundred yards felt like an ordeal.

Moreover, in our current drained state, it would likely feel like ten miles, making it an absolute no-go.

“…I’ll just sit here.”

He was going to do that all along, wasn’t he?

Seo Gi-hyeon quickly shook off his grumbling and, with a cheerful expression once more, plopped down onto the grass. Although we were under the blazing sun, sharing the isotonic drink the kind lady had given us and quenching our thirst made me feel slightly better.

“Do you live here?”

“Yeah.”

“With your parents?”

“No.”

“Then relatives?”

“No.”

After a series of casual answers to his rapid-fire questions, a disgruntled voice abruptly popped out.

“What? Speak with a bit more sincerity.”

“I am speaking sincerely.”

“Oh, was that it?”

I fully expected a scolding for my lack of sincerity, but Seo Gi-hyeon surprisingly accepted it calmly. In truth, anyone would have found my answers insincere.

“If it’s not your parents or relatives, are you living with strangers?”

“Yeah.”

“…Surely not kidnapping?”

“Well, something similar.”

Though ‘study abroad’ and ‘kidnapping’ differ by more than a single character, that answer slipped out inadvertently. Since I hadn’t come here by my own will, it wasn’t entirely untrue regarding the element of coercion.

‘The weather was truly splendid.’

My study abroad journey began with that single remark. An old acquaintance of my father, who had visited Chicago for a business trip in September, spoke incessantly of the city’s weather. He raved about the clear air and high skies, saying it was much like Korea’s autumn, throughout dinner.

‘Jeong-woo, he says it’s like that. What do you think about Chicago?’

Upon hearing this, my mother asked as if she had been waiting for the perfect opportunity.

There had been many other potential destinations before this. New York, Seattle, even entirely different countries like England or nearby Japan. But each time I refused, lacking the desire to go, my mother would propose another candidate.

‘If you like Korea, why don’t you go somewhere similar?’

By then, I had realized. My parents wouldn’t give up until I agreed to go.

“Did I ask something insensitive?”

“What do you mean?”

“No, I just wondered if it was a topic you didn’t want to talk about.”

“Not at all.”

It was simply that I had never discussed such things with anyone. The connections I made at school rarely asked personal questions, and I, too, never made a point of announcing I was studying abroad. Whether I lived with my parents or relatives, the question of who I lived with itself felt strange, when you thought about it.

However, Seo Gi-hyeon, true to his ‘my way’ nature, persisted in seeking an answer to his question. The reason I didn’t find it unpleasant was that his inquiry genuinely seemed to carry no ulterior motive. His hesitation, as if suddenly concerned after asking so many questions, actually seemed uncharacteristic of him.

‘Is he unexpectedly timid?’

Seo Gi-hyeon was the type to reveal many surprising twists within just an hour of meeting him.

“What about you?”

“Huh?”

“Who do you live with?”

“Oh… I, of course, live with my parents…”

I had deliberately redirected the conversation with a question, but for some reason, Seo Gi-hyeon’s voice trailed off.

“I do live, but not here.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, my uncle’s family lives in America.”

‘Ah. So that’s it.’

As I processed this internally, I suddenly realized his answer was strange.

“…In America?”

“Yeah.”

“Your uncle’s family lives in America?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you and your family don’t live in America?”

“Yeah.”

“So you just came to visit for the holidays?”

“Exactly.”

The person answering so brightly seemed to have forgotten what he had just said. He told others to answer sincerely, but he himself had no intention of doing so.

“I thought you moved here.”

“I did move here. Not my family, but my uncle’s family.”

“When did you arrive?”

“About two weeks ago?”

That’s why I hadn’t known. It was such a place with few Koreans that I might have noticed if we’d crossed paths, but within the vast residential complex, it was difficult to meet by chance unless you were constantly going back and forth.

“And I arrived the day before yesterday. At night.”

Seo Gi-hyeon rattled off information I hadn’t even asked for. He mentioned that he had originally planned to come as soon as school let out, but his uncle’s family’s move had delayed him by a few weeks. He even told me which airline he took and what he ate for his in-flight meal.

“If you came all this way, you should be out exploring. Why haven’t you gone anywhere?”

“I was planning to start sightseeing today, but my mom told me to rest one more day. She said I’d be tired because of the time difference.”

A hint of regret tinged his voice as he answered.

“Do you have any cousins?”

“Yes. One.”

“How old are they?”

“The same age as us.”

I didn’t show it, but I was a little surprised. If you have a cousin your age, don’t you usually hang out with them? It seemed truly odd that Seo Gi-hyeon, visiting from Korea, had been wandering this quiet neighborhood alone.

“Oh, no strange misunderstandings. My cousin and I get along great.”

As if reading my thoughts, Seo Gi-hyeon quickly added.

“They’re studying right now, so I came out alone.”

“They have to study during vacation?”

“Well, like creative writing? They’re getting private tutoring for writing.”

I unconsciously frowned. To have to study even during vacation.

“My uncle and aunt are a bit overzealous. They apparently moved here to send them to some famous private school in the area.”

“Ah…”

Only then did I realize that Seo Gi-hyeon’s cousin would be attending the same school as me starting next semester.

“Anyway, my aunt said she’d take them to the supermarket after their studies today. So I promised not to disturb them. If I’m home, they’ll just want to play, right?”

“When do they finish studying?”

“Uh… I don’t know.”

“Don’t you think they might be done by now?”

“Really? Then I guess I should go.”

Seo Gi-hyeon rose from his spot, his face alight with anticipation. Brushing the grass from his clothes, he smiled with the same expression he’d worn when we first met.

“See you again.”

Instead of replying, I simply nodded.

It was a brief encounter, one I couldn’t guarantee would happen again during my time in America. I thought his parting words were just a casual remark, as there was no telling when we might meet again.

****

But the next morning,

[John. Your friend is here, so please come out.]

Did I have a friend who would suddenly show up without contacting me? Doubting, I went downstairs, where a familiar face waved cheerfully.

“I’m bored, let’s play together!”

His spirited voice was exactly as it had been yesterday.