episode_0001

I was also very young back then.

Fujiwara Aki is only 6 years old and is a foreigner who doesn’t know much about our country’s situation, so she might ask the question, ‘Are you from North Korea or South Korea?’, but I also tried hard to explain the difference between North Korea and South Korea with my vague pronunciation due to missing baby teeth. Because I explained it.

“North Korea is North Korea and South Korea is South Korea. But this is South Coria, where did I come from?”

Well, even if I did explain it, it was nothing more than a fist-pumping assertion since it came from the head of a 6-year-old child.

“Um, North Coria… … ?”

My forced words did not work due to the language barrier between Japanese and Koreans.

It’s not that I’m Korean and Fujiwara Aki is Japanese.

If she hadn’t learned a little Korean at the insistence of her grandparents, who were Japanese ambassadors to Korea, we wouldn’t have even been able to exchange our first greetings.

However, at the time, I had no way of knowing the inside story, and I was just frustrated with Fujiwara Aki who couldn’t understand my explanation.

“No, it’s not North Coria. This is South Coria? South, south. It’s South Korea. Do you understand?”

“… … ?”

“… … .”

As soon as I encountered a slightly complicated issue, I became unable to give a coherent explanation due to my lack of foreign language skills, and it was only then that this thought occurred to me for the first time.

Ah, I guess I’m still very lacking.

Just because you got 100 points on a test you took in kindergarten doesn’t mean you can be proud. There are still many things in the world that I don’t know.

Because of this memory, I have been focusing on my studies ever since and have been able to get good grades… … .Actually, this kind of story would be good, right?

“Ah, that’s right! That’s it. Hey, do you want to wait a minute?”

At the time, I was still young and lacking in many ways, but I think my ability to improvise was outstanding.

“Now, here!”

“… … Is this all?”

“Yes, this is called Papago. To put it simply, it is a translator. Even words that Aki and I don’t understand can be easily understood by using this!”

After all, what kind of 6-year-old child would have the idea to take out his cell phone and turn on the Papago translator in that situation?

In fact, I am just following the tip I received from my parents who were diplomats, ‘Be sure to use it if you ever have to go abroad in the future.’ However, thinking about it and using it at the right time, I can confidently say that it was a godsend. .

“Beomnyek, Ki… … ?”

“Wait. I’ll show you in person. … …こんにちは(Hello)?”

“… … Did you know how to speak Japanese?!”

“Huh? Oh, wait a minute. If there is anything you want to say, can you say it here?”

Anyway, even though we didn’t understand each other’s native language very well, she and I had a universal language, body language.

I conveyed the meaning of speaking into my cell phone through hand and eye gestures, and Fujiwara Aki, who managed to understand, hesitated but cautiously said a word.

“… …こんにちは(Hello).”

“Hello. What is your name?”

“I… … . Fujiwara, Fujiwara Aki.”

“Aha, Fujiwara Aki. My name is Jooju. Last name is Joo, first name is Wooju. Even if you do it backwards, it’s the main universe, so it’s easy to memorize, right?”

“Major Universe… … . Yes, I remembered. State ~ Award.”

“Major ~ Prize? Oh, no no. Not the main or upper world, but the universe. It’s not your first name, it’s your last name.”

“Ugh, that is, week. Week~Sang(さん).”

In Korea, it is mainstream culture and natural for friends to only call each other by their first names, but in Japan, unless you are very close, you do not call each other by their first name, and is it rude to do so even if you are not close?

At the time, I didn’t know that it was natural to call people by their last name + san (さん) when they weren’t close friends, and that when they got closer, they would drop their last name and call them first name + san (さん), and if they went further, they would add their first name + chan (ちゃん).

From what I found out later, I heard that Japan’s unique calling culture is called ‘Yobiste’, but this is not that important, so I’ll skip it for now.

“No, my name is Wooju? Not the main or upper world, but the universe. Now, follow along. Space!”

“… … Uju~san?”

“Not a space~, but a universe, a universe!”

“Space~Sang… … ?”

“Don’t make it long, make it short, universe!”

“Space~Above… … .”

“Well, can’t we leave out the award at the end?”

“… … .”

“… … Yeah, whatever. That’s enough. Yeah, you’re good. From now on, you can call me Uju~san. I’ll call you Aki too. Got it?”

“Eh… ?”

“Why? Is there any problem?”

“Oh, um… .”

Fujiwara Aki, or rather Aki, was about to say something but then closed his mouth.

It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he seemed to think I wouldn’t understand and just gave up on explaining.

“Now, let’s go back to the beginning. South Coria is South Korea and North Coria is North Korea. This is South Coria, right? Then where did I come from?”

“Sa, South Coria?”

“That’s right! That’s right, you’re really smart, aren’t you?”

“Ugh, Aki is smart. My mom also said Aki was smart.”

“Oh, you came with your mom? Aki is Japanese, right? Why did you come to Korea?”

“ウジュ~さん、さっき言った言葉はどういう意味？ (Wooju~sang, what do you mean by what you just said?)”

“Ah, translator. Ah, Aki asked me if I was Japanese and why I came to Korea!”

“Oh, I see. I am Japanese. To be more precise, his father is Japanese and his mother is French. The reason I came to Korea was to follow my grandfather and my dad. I’m not sure about Aki either, but Grandpa and Papa said that they had to go to Korea because they were in charge of very important work.”

“If you followed your grandfather and father, is your mother in Japan?”

“Yes, to Tokyo. Mama is a very famous model, so I couldn’t come to Korea with her. You’re very busy.”

“Wow, really? Akine’s mom is a model. My mom is a diplomat.”

“Wooju~san, you work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?”

“Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Do you mean the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Yes, then that’s right. My mom and dad are both diplomats. What does Akine’s dad do?”

“Oh, my dad is also a diplomat, and my grandfather is also a diplomat!”

“Uh, so both of our fathers are diplomats? It’s a coincidence, right?”

Considering that the place where Aki and I met was the Japanese Embassy in Korea, it may not have been such an amazing coincidence, but as I said before, there was no way that 6-year-old children could have known such a cause-and-effect relationship.

It was amazing that Aki and I found something in common: we had the same diplomat father, and following that common denominator, we naturally started talking about each other’s fathers.

“Ugh, that’s right! It’s so, so amazing, the universe! … … Ah.”

A red blush appeared on Aki’s cute face, as if she was embarrassed for making a loud noise.

He looked very exotic, but his reaction was unexpectedly large, so I chuckled, thinking that Aki like that was very cute.

“Woo, how about Uju~san Papa? scared? Are you strict?”

“Um, no. My dad isn’t that scared. He always gives me gifts like toys, and sometimes he takes me out with my mom and buys me lots of delicious food.”

“I’m jealous of the universe. My dad is really scary. Whenever I make a mistake, his expression gets frowning like this and he turns into a goblin… … .”

“I see. So Aki, you hate your dad?”

“Ugh, no. Papa is scary but good. What I really hate is my grandfather.”

“Why do you hate grandfather?”

“Aki said he wasn’t going to Korea and that he was staying in Japan with his mom because he had many friends in Japan, but he forced me to come with him. That’s why I hate it.”

“Aha… .”

When I was young, I moved frequently with my parents.

So, since I was young, I often moved to kindergartens and daycare centers, and I was able to understand Aki’s feelings because I had experienced many times where I had to move to a different area and be separated from the children when I wanted to become a little closer to them.

Of course, I didn’t go abroad like Aki, so I can’t guarantee that I understand 100%. Still, I know very well that it is lonely to let go of a friend and be left alone in a place with only strangers.

“Then, when will Aki return to Japan?”

“I don’t know. It could be a year or it could be two years. It’s all in my grandfather’s heart.”

“… … I see.”

So, I thought to myself:

Is there anything I can do for Aki, a somewhat timid Japanese friend of my age who suddenly finds herself lonely in a foreign land?

“You know, Aki.”

After thinking about it for a while, a good idea came to mind.

“Would you like to go outside with me?”

“Huh? Outside?”

“Yes, it must be lonely to be here alone for a year, right? So, I’ll show you a lot of fun things. How about it?”

“Ah, that… … .”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it… … . We’re not friends yet.”

“… … uh? Aren’t we friends now? Aki hates me?”

When I asked an extremely obvious question, Aki was a little surprised and rolled her eyes here and there, as if she didn’t expect to be asked such a question.

“Oh, no! It’s not that I don’t like it, but we met for the first time today, so we’re not close friends yet… … .”

“Then, we can become friends from now on. Right?”

“Oh, that, that… … .”

Six-year-old Aki is very passive.

“That’s right, I guess… … ?”

However, he nodded without being able to hide his happy expression.

“Okay. OK. Are we going to be friends from now on?”

“Ugh, friend… … .”

“… … So, we can play together now, right? Because we are friends.”

“Yeah, right? … … Oh?!”

At that time, when I had no concept of distance, I boldly held onto Aki’s hand.

“Let’s go, Aki!”

“Uh, what… ?!”

We suddenly became friends and went outside together holding hands.