Finding Jiyong

Chapter 1

Dara’s mom shook her awake when they got to their apartment building. She sat up confused. “Where’s Jiyong?” 

Her mom gave her a funny look. “Do you have a classmate named Jiyong? That’s a Korean name. The principal told me they don’t have other Koreans enrolled in their school.”

She furrowed her brows in confusion. “He’s not a classmate, Ma. He’s a friend I met in the park.” She yawned and sleepily got off the car.

“We didn’t pass by any park, Dara. You must be dreaming. Come on you need to freshen up then rest. Tomorrow’s a school day and it’s almost midnight and its way past your bedtime.” Her mom gently ushered her inside their new home.

She was too tired to argue. She was sure she met Jiyong and she was in a park. Her brain was too tired to make sense of anything so she just wearily walked towards the bathroom to wash up. After donning her favourite worn pyjamas she crawled into bed. She was out as soon as her head hit her bed.

The next thing she knew she was once again sitting in the park. She looked around and Jiyong was now writing something on the other side of the bench.

“Are you a real person?” She asked Jiyong who was too engrossed in his writing to give her any attention other than to nod briefly at her.

He looked up and said, “I’m just as real as you.” He then went back to whatever he was doing.
She moved closer to look. “Why are you writing your name there?” 

“To remind myself that I was here.” He told her.

“Can I write my name, too?” She asked.

“Go ahead. It’s your dream, too.” Jiyong told her without pausing at whatever he was doing.

“I don’t have anything to write with.” She told him.
“Try your pocket. If you think about something here it usually ends up in your pocket.” Jiyong told her.
She thought of a Sharpie and just as he said she found one inside her pocket. She wrote Dara in bold print alongside Jiyong’s name. He had carved his name into the wood that was why he was taking so long to finish. He was adding some elaborate dragon design elements around it, too, using his own red Sharpie. She just sat there and watched him work.

After he was done, he took a couple of moments to view and critique his art. Adding some final touches here and there. Then he looked at her writing. “You’re not adding anything to that?”

She smiled at him. “Nope.” She looked at his design and knew that if she attempted anything like that to her writing, she’d just make it look a lot worse.

Jiyong looked at his watch. “I have to go. You, too. You have to go. It’s been almost an hour. Staying here longer than that will make you sick tomorrow.” She looked quizzily at him.

“Trust me. I’ve been going to this park for almost a year every night. Get some sleep. I’ll see you again tomorrow night.” He turned and walked away, disappearing right before her eyes after a few steps.