The next morning, I walked over to Shin's house, knocked on his door, and waited. When he stepped out, his usual grin greeted me. "What's up, Doon?"
"Let's go get Leana," I said. Together, we headed to her place, and as soon as she saw us, she joined without hesitation.
It was a special day. Shin's birthday was coming up—June 17—and we had a plan to surprise him later. Our moms and Leana's dad were already at Shin's house preparing everything. Our job was to keep Shin distracted and away from home.
As we wandered the neighborhood, Shin suddenly asked, "Hey, what are your dreams?"
I blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Uh, I dunno… Maybe to become an athlete or something? Something with sports."
Leana laughed. "I don't know either. Maybe a singer? Or an idol? Who knows!"
We both looked at Shin. "What about you?" Leana asked.
Shin grinned, a little shyly. "To be a great person. I want to join the military and fight the North Korean troops."
Leana and I burst out laughing. "Sure, soldier boy!" she teased.
Shin laughed along with us. "You guys are the worst!"
Leana smirked. "You're totally into soldier stuff. You'd probably make a good one, though."
I nodded. "Yeah, maybe even more than that. You could be a general, Shin."
Shin's eyes lit up as he puffed out his chest. "A general? Yeah, I could do that. I'll lead the troops to victory!"
The three of us laughed so hard we had to stop walking.
Later, as we played by the water, the cool breeze and warm sun felt perfect. "This air is so refreshing," I said, splashing Shin and Leana.
"Let's head back before it gets too late," Leana suggested, wringing water out of her hair.
When we got to Shin's house, we let him open the door first. "Go ahead, Shin," I said, trying not to smile.
As soon as he stepped inside, the lights came on, and everyone yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHIN!"
Shin froze, his face going from shock to pure joy. "What?! You guys planned this?!"
His mom hugged him. "Of course we did! Make a wish, Shin."
We all watched as Shin closed his eyes, a big smile on his face. "I wish to always be with all of you," he said.
That night, we had a sleepover at Shin's place. His room was pretty normal, except for all the toy soldiers scattered everywhere.
Leana and I had a secret gift for Shin, but we waited until he fell asleep. Then we decided to prank him.
"BOO!" we shouted, shaking him awake.
Shin bolted upright, his eyes wide. "Nooo! Nightmare!"
We burst out laughing, and Shin glared at us. "That's not funny!"
"Relax," I said, handing him a box. "Here, this is for you."
Shin opened the box, and his face lit up. Inside was a soldier helmet.
"No way!" he shouted, so excited that he jumped out of bed. "This is the coolest thing ever!"
Leana and I chuckled as we watched him put it on.
His mom banged on the door, her voice stern. "You kids better be asleep!"
Shin quickly answered, "Okay, we will!"
As he lay back down, still wearing the helmet, he grinned at us. "You guys are the best."
That night, we all fell asleep laughing, feeling like the world was ours to conquer.