Yankee Market

Kim Joon-woo strode confidently through the bustling crowd, his voice booming as he called out to his friends.

"Let's head to Yankee Market first, then we can go to Yeonhadang!" he shouted, his excitement almost contagious.

"Why Yankee Market?" one of his friends asked, a hint of hesitation in their voice.

"Don't ask too many questions, just follow along!" Joon-woo replied with a knowing grin as if he had a grand plan hidden behind his casual invitation.

Leading the group, Joon-woo took them towards Yankee Market, an old market tucked away behind Dongincheon Station. In the past, this market had been a bustling hub for imported goods, thanks to its proximity to Incheon Port. Though the lively atmosphere of the 70s had faded, a few stalls still sold items from Camp Market, the American military base in Bupyeong. Yet, with each passing year, authentic products had become harder to come by, gradually replaced by cheap imitations flooding every corner.

Yankee Market was like a maze, its narrow alleys twisting and turning, with stalls crammed tightly together, all competing for the attention of anyone who wandered through.

"This feels like being in a movie," thought Ryu Ji-ho, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a mix of curiosity and wonder.

Every time he stepped out of his usual school or home routine, Ji-ho felt like he was walking onto the set of a historical drama. Instinctively, his hand reached into his pocket for his phone to capture the moment. But he could only sigh when he realized his phone wasn't there.

"Not only is my phone missing, but it's like the internet has vanished into thin air," he thought, a touch of frustration creeping in.

Back then, the internet was still a rare luxury. Personal computers had just started making their way into households, most running on the clunky DOS 286 operating system that had to be booted with a floppy disk. They were prohibitively expensive, meaning only a few families could afford one. It would be years before the internet became commonplace, easily accessible at the touch of a button.

For Ryu Ji-ho, who was used to the rapid flow of information from his smartphone and constant internet access, it felt like he had been thrown back in time.

"Why are you daydreaming like that?" Joon-woo's sudden question jolted Ji-ho out of his thoughts.

"Ah, just… amazed, I guess," Ji-ho replied with an awkward smile.

"You've been here a few times already. What's left to amaze you? And don't just stand in the middle of the path! You're blocking people!" Joon-woo teased, though there was a hint of seriousness in his tone.

Yankee Market was notorious for being cramped and crowded. People jostled against one another, trying to push their way through the throng, while the vendors shouted at the top of their lungs, advertising their wares. It wasn't uncommon for groups to get separated, lost in the seemingly endless chaos of the market.

Ryu Ji-Ho and his friends often went to the market together. However, almost every time, they ended up getting separated, pulled in different directions by the bustling and colorful chaos of the market.

"Young man, come take a look for a moment. I've got some good stuff here. Just have a look before you go," a vendor woman gently grabbed Ryu Ji-ho's arm, stopping him from following the crowd. In front of him was a mess of goods—clothes, accessories, all haphazardly displayed. Some of them still bore signs of having belonged to American soldiers.

"Do you have any GAP hats or hoodies here?" he asked, curiosity coloring his voice.

"GAP?" The vendor raised an eyebrow, as if confused.

"Yeah, the fake ones..." Ryu Ji-ho added, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"We don't sell fake goods here," the woman replied sharply, her gaze becoming serious. But Ryu Ji-ho knew better. In this market, it was nearly impossible not to find fake items. Usually, though, the counterfeit goods were only sold to familiar and trusted customers since surprise inspections were a constant threat.

"Take a look around anyway; you might find something you like," the vendor finally said, her smile returning, though just barely.

Ryu Ji-ho gave a small smile in return and began browsing through the pile of clothes in front of him. He remembered that GAP hats had become a trend in the mid-'90s. In Incheon, no official stores were selling them. As a result, Yankee Market, once famous for selling American military goods, had now transformed into a hub for counterfeit branded items like GAP.

"Where did my friends go?" he muttered softly as he glanced around. Without realizing it, his companions had disappeared into the crowd. Instead of searching deeper into the market, Ryu Ji-ho decided to head back to the entrance. It didn't take long for his friends to gather there again, each of them carrying their shopping finds.

Go Woo-chan now sported a new pair of sunglasses, with a matchstick somehow tucked between his lips. "All I need now is a trench coat, and I'll have the look down perfectly," he said, twirling the matchstick between his fingers with a practiced coolness.

From their appearances, Ryu Ji-ho could easily tell that they'd all been influenced by the film *Soma*, which was a hit at the time.

"This is for you," Kim Jun-woo handed Ryu Ji-ho a pair of sunglasses, though his gesture seemed reluctant.

"Come on, they're cool, right? In the movie, the guy hides a gun in a flowerpot, and when he runs out of bullets, he pulls out another gun and just keeps shooting. He even lights his cigarette with money! How cool is that?" Go Woo-chan exclaimed with such enthusiasm that he nearly spat as he spoke.

"Since when does a handgun turn into a machine gun? He fires dozens of shots without ever running out of bullets," Hwang Jae-jeong chimed in, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he tried to deflate Woo-chan's excitement.

"Yeah, well, it's still more believable than *Rambo*," Kim Jun-woo added with a smirk.

"You guys always overthink everything," grumbled Go Woo-chan, clearly annoyed.

"All that matters is that the movie is awesome! When you watch a movie, you're not supposed to analyze every little thing!" 

His friends chuckled softly, and the mood relaxed again, as if they were used to these kinds of light-hearted debates. Around them, the market hummed with life, full of stories and memories just waiting to be discovered.