Kaleidoscope

We spent almost the whole season at each others' homes that year. Your Mother would bring you over whenever she visited - now that her friend Eun Jin had a child to keep you company - and Umma Eun Jin would bring me over whenever she came.

A pattern developed pretty soon after that. When Umma Eun Jin and I came over, we'd spend the first few hours playing with Chun Hei, then went up to your room when Chun Hei had to go for her piano lessons.

Our games of hide and seek and dragons and warriors were the only upside of my time in that house.

A week before I was to return to my real Umma , I told you the bad news. We lived in Incheon so my leaving meant bad news for our newly flourishing friendship.

"I'll be leaving Gangnam next Friday," I said over biscuits and warm milk. You were trying to build a biscuit castle on your plate and stopped when I spoke. After a long moment, you looked up at me.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be going back to my real home, to my real Umma ."

You seemed confused. "Isn't Emo Eun Jin your real Umma too?"

Sighing, I tried to picture the petite woman - swollen belly and pumps - as a maternal figure. I couldn't.

"She's going to be my new Dong-Saeng’s real Umma , not mine."

This made sense, apparently, because you resumed building your biscuit castle after a few moments.

"I'll get you a gift then. Warriors never let their princesses leave without a token"

This caught my attention. No one had ever called me their princess before, not even my Father. I was a little dove, cupcake or sweet Dong-Saeng - never a princess. I looked up at you, my eleven year old heart suddenly in my throat.

"Am I really your princess, Joon Myun ?"

Peering at me from beneath your lashes, you just smiled. "Of course you are."

Kim Joon Myun , that was the day I fell in love with you.