S. Choe just completed her freshman year at Niles North high school. She moved here two years ago from California with her mom. She started going to BYG and quickly become one of Myung's favorites. "Che's the greatest girl in the world," he kept saying, using his own nickname for her.

Myung told me that there are plenty of great things about Che, including her s...l...o...w... way of talking/walking/living and the hilarious fact that she joined the track team. However, her best attribute, he said, is the fact that she, just by being herself, can refresh the gloomiest souls. There are two girls in particular who seem to benefit the most from having her around: Anna and Christine.

Anna just graduated from Niles North and will be attending Northwestern in the fall. Like most 2nd semester seniors, she's long stopped listening (although, to be fair, she's never really listened to me) and maybe stopped caring. It hurts Myung to think that he can't reach her anymore.

Even Anna says that Christine reminds her of a younger version of herself. Christine just graduated from Alexander Graham Bell elementary, which happens to work with deaf children (though Christine isn't), and whose graduation service (the best Myung's seen) was adorned with sign language. After the ceremony, she ran off to talk to her friends and left Myung talking to her mom.

Christine's mom told Myung that she doesn't interact much with anyone at home. But she said that she was glad that Christine seems to have found such a genuine friend at church - Che, of course.

Christine is guilelessly honest, sometimes blunt, and is reflexively sensitive. Anna is older and more mature, so she is less of these things, but the edge is harder. And Che buffers all these things.

Che came to BYG just after I left, so all I knew of her was from what Myung told me. To be honest, when I finally met her, I didn't get it. Or, more accurately, I didn't get her. She didn't seem particularly great, or funny. The only funny thing seemed to be that she felt the same way about me.

Well, this past weekend we laughed at a few jokes, shared an umbrella in the pouring rain, and said, "HiiiiiiiYAH!" In all, it was only a few hours, but it was a full few hours, full of nothing really, except that it was wonderful, genuine nothing. And Che seemed something north of very good.

I think I really missed these kids. I think I really missed being part of BYG. I think these past few weeks have lifted the gloom, and I feel refreshed.