After pitching the tents and arranging our gear, our stomachs began to announce their presence. "Lunchtime!" Mr. Shin shouted. "Bring out the barbecue equipment!"
The clearing turned into a beehive of activity. Students brought out meat, vegetables, and charcoal. Jin stepped toward the main grill, wearing a cooking apron (he brought it specifically for this) and holding the BBQ tongs like a sword. "Stand back, everyone!" he announced in a booming voice. "Today, Chef Jin will take charge of feeding the tribe! I have a secret sauce that will make you weep with joy!"
Suddenly... total silence reigned. The students who knew Jin... specifically Sarah and I... exchanged looks of horror. I remembered the "Purple Ramyeon" and the chocolate. Sarah remembered the "Burnt Sandwich" from the previous trip.
"No!" Sarah screamed. "Grab him!" I shouted.
A group of students sprinted and stood between Jin and the grill like presidential guards protecting the president from an assassination attempt. "What's wrong with you guys?" Jin asked, shocked. "I'm trying to help you!"
Sarah stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder with exaggerated gentleness. "Jin... we love you. And we want you to live to play with us tomorrow. And we want to live too." "What do you mean?" "We mean your cooking is classified as an internationally banned chemical weapon," I said with a stifled laugh.
"This is bullying!" Jin objected. "I practiced! I watched YouTube videos!"
Mr. Shin, hearing the commotion, intervened and looked at Jin suspiciously. "You... are Jin, right? The one who exploded the test tube in chemistry class last week?" Jin nodded. The teacher took the tongs from his hand gently but firmly. "Listen, son... we have a very dangerous and sensitive mission that no one else can do." Jin's eyes sparkled. "Really? Grilling?" "No," the teacher pointed to a huge pile of vegetables in the corner. "Washing lettuce and chopping tomatoes. Stay away from fire and anything explosive."
The camp erupted in laughter. Jin sat in the corner washing lettuce with funny grumbling, muttering: "Geniuses who don't appreciate my talent... a day will come when you beg me to cook for you."
I sat next to Lina, helping to grill the meat. She was laughing as she watched Jin. "Poor guy... he was so excited." "It's better for him and us," I said, flipping a piece of meat. "At least we'll go home without food poisoning."
We ate with hearty appetites in the open air. The food was simple, but it was the most delicious meal I'd had in ages. Laughter, friends, the warm sun, and the smell of barbecue... It was a moment of simple human "perfection." Moments that make you forget there is a cruel world, or a system counting down the seconds.
I looked at Jin, who was stuffing his mouth with meat (that he didn't cook) while laughing with Sarah. And I looked at Lina, who was wiping barbecue sauce from her chin with a napkin. I smiled. "If time stopped here..." I thought. "...I wouldn't mind."