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The streets of Seoul always feel so loud. The suburbs are much more peaceful.
Dae-ho has always lived in Seochon village. He’s six, and he lives with his four sisters, mother and father. His dad isn’t always around, working most days, and he can be pretty mean when he’s home. But it’s okay. He has lots of fun with his sisters! They teach him all the fun games they know and they help him do his hair. He likes his hair long.
Dae-ho thinks his mama is very pretty. She always wears nice dresses and she has a big smile that shows all her teeth and some of her gums. She cooks the best food and gives the best kisses, and she calls Dae-ho her little tiger! He’d like to be upgraded to big tiger, though. He’s not a baby anymore.
There aren’t too many kids that live in Seochon, but they all get along. Dae-ho’s sister play less with the kids in the village now, but they like to watch and make sure no one hurts themselves. If they do, they’re right there to patch them up and send the little one on their way again. Dae-ho most often plays with the little girl who lives a little up the road. She is very nice.
Today, a new family is moving to Seochon. Dae-ho doesn’t know all too much, but he saw a lady with frizzy hair and a guy with some tattoos down the road, at the house for sale. He heard they have kids! He hopes to meet them, new friends will be fun. One of his big sisters had a look, and she said that there was a big brother, a middle brother and a little sister, a little like the opposite of him!
New friends will be fun. He’s keeping an eye out for any new faces, and it seems he’s found one!
Walking around aimlessly the streets jist outside his house, Dae-ho spots a black mop of hair behind one of the fences. The hair is not long, but not short, a sort of bob. He walks over to the little boy he sees sitting down, drawing in the dirt with a stick. He seems to be the same age as Dae-ho too! Maybe younger though. He seems grumpy, but maybe that’s just how he looks.
He’s scared now. New friends are fun, but they can be scary. Dae-ho always is scared when he has to talk to new people. It’s like he gets all wobbly, like jelly, and he can’t breathe because the rocks are blocking his throat and his words. He takes a deep breath and sits down next to the other boy.
“Hi. My name’s Dae-ho. Did you just move here? I saw a lady with crazy hair and a scary man with a tattoo, I think. Is that your mama and papa?”
The boy looked at him, a little startled. He looked a little shy, maybe a bit mean, but he smiled at Dae-ho and didn’t seem so mean. “My mama has crazy hair. Her name’s Mi-nyeo. My dad is named Deok-su, and he does have a tattoo.. a couple. He looks kind of scary, but he isn’t. I’m Nam-gyu.”
Dae-ho was less scared now. His throat opened up a little and instead of jelly he felt more like a big cake, still, but a little crumbly. He was getting there.
“I like that name. When did you move? Only a little bit ago, right? What school are you going to go to?”
“I’m going to go to, uh, I think it was Seoul Doksoo Elementary, I think… We only moved a week ago, we just had to move everything in. Dad was a little antsy about letting me and my siblings go out yet.”
“That’s ok. It’s nice here. There are some kids our age to play with, and my sisters can play sometimes too. But they are old, they like to make sure we are not hurt rather than play now. I have 4 older sisters! I am the only boy in my family. Well, there’s my dad, but I am the only little boy, and he doesn’t hang about much. We’re going to go to the same school.”
“Do you think you can show me around?” Nam-gyu seemed embarrassed now, but he still asked. “I’m a little bit scared about going to a new school and meeting new people. Making new friends is going to be hard!”
“That’s ok! I can show you all around and we can be friends if you want. You can meet my friends too. Everyone at my school likes new people.”
“Really? Is that okay?”
“Yes! Of course!”
“I feel a little less nervous for school now. I think having a friend will help a lot.”
“Yes. I think it will. Do you want to come meet my sisters? My mama might let you stay for dinner, if you want.”
“I can ask my mum. That would be nice.”
“Let’s go ask!”