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| Picture unrelated. I just had to put a picture before the break so that it doesn't look too weird. And Never Forget seems to fit this story well. |
I never thought I would make it big in this country. And to think that I just flew here because I wanted a job at a premier telecommunications company and build my career even further. Who would have thought that a slacker in university like me could land that job, get rich then get handed a job in making music because a friend of mine was looking for a new bassist for his band then leave my first job? And who would have thought that I would be friends with Boohwal's Jeong Dongha? Funny, right? Okay, I'll stop bragging now.
2030 was probably the most stressful year for me. The band was recording for our Nth anniversary album(seriously, I cannot remember how old the band really is. Dongha always said that Boohwal was started when he was a kid by a legendary rocker, and Dongha is old as fuck now). We usually had fights back then, fights that start with no reason. Maybe all of us were just too tired back then. Or our guitarist back then was a real pain. I don't really remember, kids.
During that time, I thought about quitting. The stress just got to me. My fingers were always in pain. My throat is always aching from all the shouting we were doing. And honestly, sometimes I just don't get along with our drummer. I usually don't come home because I had to fill my body with soju in order to not stay mad. And just a little trivia, I only learned how to drink when I moved here. Would you believe me if I said that I never drank a drop of alcohol until I was 25? No? Well, believe me, kids.
There was this one night when I was really drunk and had no idea what I was doing and all I can remember was I was spewing insults at anyone who is unfortunate enough to enter the cart bar. It was a good thing that I was only a bassist, since no one really recognizes the bassist. (unless that bassist is Flea or Pete Wentz, and you probably don't know who these people are, kids. Sorry. I love talking about my childhood. Back to the story) There was this woman there who tried to stop but she was also drunk as hell. So we just exchanged insults until we were too tired to speak anymore. In the end, we just sat there and drank like any other people who knew each other. Although we didn't really know each other and I didn't get her name. It's embarrassing because I even showed her a picture of a young woman in my handphone that I show to people as a conversation starter.
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| Tired from the wall of text. Here's something to ease the pain. |
*cue cliche flashback music here*
It's a picture of a girl I met in college during a visitation by foreign high school students. I was 19 back then. She was probably 15. I helped tour their class around our campus in the Philippines and had some cultural exchanges with them. As I told you, I was a slacker in college and things like this give me a reason to cut my classes. Please don't do this, kids. Anyway, while I was touring them, I noticed that the girls in their class were all cute. (probably because I found Korean girls under 16 really cute back then) But there was this one girl that stood out. No, not the girl in the picture. Some other girl that my friend also liked... and he had dibs. Seriously, I always lose dibs. He just toured that one girl and a few others and I had to tour the other students. Needless to say, I was bummed.
But not everything is gloomy. I realized this other girl is much cuter. But she's too quiet. And her thick-framed glasses made her look nerdy. (Although if I remember correctly, back then I think thick-framed glasses made girls 10x sexier, kids. And why am I talking to you about what made girls look hotter. Moving on). I became more cheerful, masking the pissed off side of myself, to protect my image and to make sure these students don't go to their teacher and say that their tour guide is a fucking prick. As time went by, I got attached to the girl. She was really nice, and she really paid attention when I explained about Philippine history through paintings. Yes, kids, she was the girl in the picture.
She eventually told me in the most innocent way possible that she thinks I'm charming - her friends told me. I was too happy that I high-fived my colleagues as hard as I could and pranced around the room. Achievement Unlocked! I told her that I think she's cute but that's all I could say. I could've said more, like "I wish you could just stay here in the Philippines" or something like "I want us to get married someday" but I didn't because that's not my style. I was too shy back then, kids.
She left a message for me before she went back to Korea(which I held on to until now). I was so sad after she went back because I know that if I had more time, I would've had a chance to make her fall for me. The best I did was add her on Facebook(yes kids, Facebook used to be cool) and that's where I got the picture saved on my phone. I saved it just in case I had the chance to go to her country. And I did not want to forget how she looked like. I was really cheesy back then, kids.
*cue return-to-the-present music*
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| Thick-framed glasses+IU = smexy. |
"That was 17 years ago, piece of shit. Move on."
"You're the piece of shit."
That was the only fragment of our conversation that I can remember. After more unintelligible statements, we agreed to split the bill, shook each other's hands and moved on with our lives. I regretted not getting her name back then, kids. When I try to remember that woman's face, I get this feeling that she was beautiful. Anyway, it was almost morning and I had to return to the agency by noon.
"Drunk again, Pyo?" Dongha asked me.
"You know I have to be drunk to be able to stand your nagging," I responded.
Suddenly, our manager came in and said that there was a new show that featured stories about people who were looking for lost fragments of their memories and it would be good if Boohwal appeared in the pilot. I've got to admit, we were pretty big in 2030. But who would we look for? Sure, we would like it if they can revive our legendary rock guitarist founder but that is science fiction. Kids, would you like to see a dead body rise up from the dead? No, right? That's gross.
"Ya! Pyo's handphone! Maybe they can help look for that young girl," our guitarist jokingly said, followed by a flurry of pedophile jokes.
"It would be a miracle if they found her. She's probably dead or something," I said.
"Well, they can try," our manager stressed.
After a few more pedophile jokes aimed straight at my face, we came up to a decision that we should submit my story. We told the production director that Boohwal's bassist is looking for a woman who went to the Philippines on January of 2013 named Goo Jumin who went to Owee School. Of course, we were not that serious. Boohwal doesn't do non-music related TV shows. Only our legendary guitarist founder can do variety shows because he looked funny enough.
Recording went by smoothly that day. Probably because I was too drunk to fight with them yet sober enough to play well. Dongha wasn't nagging and our drummer was not being a pain in the neck. The pedophile jokes earlier probably soothed them. I thought, f I acted as a punching bag that took all their aggression and insults everyday, recording might not become hell after all. Yes, kids, I got picked on a lot by my former bandmates.
That night, I came back to the cart bar I frequent. I promised myself that I would not drink a lot that night because I felt bad for the owner. The owner's a really good man, since he still lets me drink there after all the ruckus I did in the past.
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| Final pitstop. Don't worry. This won't take nine seasons |
Coincidentally, the drunk woman from the night before was there again. I quickly sat in front of her and apologized for what I did. We talked again, this time like perfectly normal human beings. She told me about her work, how she ended up being an environmental lawyer, how she dreaded going to class when she was in university, a lot of small talk, but a lot of serious topics as well. Then I told her my story, and she said that I looked familiar and she saw me on TV once but she never thought I played for Boohwal. Seriously, bassist issues again. I told her about the pedophile jokes that morning and about the "lost memory" show.
Then, something ringed her bell.
"Philippines? 2013?"
"What about it?"
"I was there in 2013."
Something seemed fishy.
"Really? What did you do there?"
"School trip. We even went to that big university."
"Really? Which school were you from?"
"Owee School, the one on top of a hill. I met wonderful people there."
I was getting excited.Sweaty and uneasy, but excited. Like when waiting for your class in a hot room to end because you have a date with a hot girl after, kids.
"Do you know Goo Jumin?"
It then dawned on me that I haven't asked her name yet. Seriously, I'm in Korea and I was too rude to not even ask the name of an acquaintance.
"Goo Jumin?"
"Yes?"
"I am Goo Jumin."
I seriously did not know what to do back then. Emotions rushed through my veins like when you are about to finish a game, or when you're making the last push in Dota3. The moment I heard she was Goo Jumin, my mind went blank. Then, flustered, I thought of what to ask her. Obviously, we haven't exchanged names yet.
"Do you still remember who you met in the Philippines?" A pretty stupid question if you ask me.
She immediately got her phone and took it out from the case. Within the case was a small, orange post-it note, with a message written in English. It was already unreadable except for the words "cute," "enjoy," and "김준."
"A really, good friend gave this note to me. He was the first man to think that I am cute. He was also the first foreigner that I liked."
Like reflex, I took out my phone and showed her the picture I showed her the night before. The picture that I always use as a conversation starter.
"Uh... That's mine..."
....And kids, that's how I met your mother.
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