Coffee Break

Last weekend I went to Cult and met my friend Seung-wook. We're the same age, which means something in Korea, and have known each other for many years. The first time I came to Seoul I met him at a skate session, probably at Cult, too. I've always admired his style and enjoyed skating with him ever since. He has one of the few perfectly original minds that show in the way he skates, controlled but free.

We don't see each other that often anymore. I don't know why, actually. Well, we're both struggling to make ends meet. Perhaps that's why. We'd run into each other occasionally at a spot, always glad to see each other, and share a carefree skate session. Afterwards we usually have plans, but seldom the same ones. At the end of the day we often say good-bye without having spoken more than a few words.

Saturday was a sunny day, the first one this year that didn't ask for thick layers of insulation. After a couple of runs we took a break. Hey, wanna grab a coffee? Yeah sure, I said, and we walked over to the store across the street. The cheap instant coffee was as bad as expected, but it's oddly always good enough. We sat on a wooden bench, much like two grandpas who spend a lazy afternoon in the park. 

For a while we just sat there, looking at the spot on the other side. How easy it is to gain a new perspective, I thought. Invisible little coffee clouds were escaping from the plastic lid on my cup. How's it going, man? Same old, I said. We both starting laughing. It's been a while and we talked much longer than the coffee lasted. And yet it was only a short break. But I realised, it was a break from everything.