By: 426 Mukozaka, Yokohama, Japan
translated into english: a sweet sister / bb's blog
The Day I Spoke English with YJ-san
November 23, 2004.
The photo exhibit was held at the Lotte Hotel Jamsil (currently Lotte World Hotel). For my friend and I who were there, we were simply overwhelmed by the large photos of YJ.
*bb: this must be the photo exhibit for The Image, Vol. 1.
It was evening, a little after 5pm. The exhibit hall came to life with noise. To my surprise, it was YJ himself who had appeared.
“It’s a lie, isn’t it? Is it really him?” What took place over several hours still seems even now like a dream.
YJ neatly wrote his autograph for me and while he held both of my hands, he talked with me. He looked me straight in the eyes when I spoke to him in Japanese, “I will buy the photo album in Japan.”
YJ replied in perfect Japanese, “Thank you for that.”
“I will be waiting in Japan on the 25th.”
“I will be there for sure. Please wait for me.”
After such a conversation, I forgot that YJ was a Korean since we were talking fluently in Japanese. The interpreter was smiling and laughing. Then YJ said in Japanese, “Please talk in English.” Whether we talked in English or not after that is a secret (laughs).
*bb: oh boy, she's such a tease!!
By meeting YJ, even a 100-year love can run the risk of growing cold. I believed this and the truth was that I was fearful, but the real life YJ was several times, no, ten times more wonderful. YJ’s powerful handshake on that day still remains in my heart even now.