Jeong-hyeok and Seri have maintained their love and commitment to each other, despite only being together once a year. But will they ever have the opportunity for more than that? Will Jeong-hyeok ever realise his full potential as a musician? Perhap...
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Two boys sat on the grassy hillside, hiding behind some boulders. They waited silently, not moving. They had set a trap for a rabbit and were watching as the rabbits emerged from their burrows, hoping they would be lucky. Not too far away, a shot rang out, and the rabbits shot back underground. Someone else was hunting that evening, too.
"Damn," said the taller, more serious looking of the boys. "It'll be ages before they come out again and it's starting to get dark. We said we'd be back." On the cusp of being teenagers, they were trusted to roam the hills together, but they still had to respect a number of rules. They were not allowed to stay out after dark.
"We can still leave the trap," said the other boy, "and check it in the morning."
"I know, but it would have been good to catch one tonight. I'm hungry. It'll just be soup again."
"Come on." The other boy stood up and put his arm around the shoulders of his friend. "Stop by our house first. Mother will have a bit extra, I'm sure."
"No, it's ok, I'll be fine."
The second boy looked at him and dropped his arm, slightly resentful at being turned down. "There's nothing wrong with feeding your family. Going hungry isn't something to feel superior about."
"I didn't say there was," said the taller one defensively.
"Maybe, but I bet that's what you were thinking. The rules come first. You think my father shouldn't look out for himself, he should play by the rules like your father does."
"It's for everyone's good."
"Yes, but everyone bends the rules a little, except for your father."
"Don't criticise my father!"
"Well, you know it's true. You've said it yourself."
The two boys walked on in silence, resentful of each other. The taller boy was conflicted. He was hungry. There was no question that his father's insistence on following the Party's creed and directions exactly meant that they never seemed to have enough to eat, when others seemed to somehow get by. He felt a bit guilty for wishing for more to eat, as he did respect his father's stance and believed that in the long run he would be proved right. He liked his friend very much and didn't want to fall out with him, but honour was at stake.
"Ok I'm sorry," the second boy said after a while. "I shouldn't have criticised your father. And maybe things will turn out his way. Let's hope that things get easier anyway. Race you to the bottom?"
"Ok," the taller boy grinned and set off straight away. Tall for his age and athletic, he easily beat his friend. He waited for his friend, laughing, their differences put aside.
At the bottom of the hill, they went their separate ways. The taller boy, Ri Choong-ryeol, was home first. His house was on the edge of the growing industrial town, whereas his friend's was in a village just beyond. The house was larger than those near to it and much older too. It used to stand in the countryside with land about it, but over the years the land had been sold or handed over. In what was left of the garden were persimmon trees, prettily showing their blossom at the moment. They gave the place a charming appearance still. The house itself was shabby, with one side of it lying unoccupied and poorly maintained. The part they lived in was watertight and snug, a place where Choong-ryeol could call home. Choong-ryeol left his shoes at the door and went inside. He headed to the kitchen where his father was bringing in some water and his mother was preparing the meal. As he had suspected, it was noodle soup, but she had some meat frying on the side, ready to serve too. It smelt delicious and his mouth watered.
