For this issue, the Opinions Editors invited students to write about something that makes them laugh. Hwang’s article was a response to this prompt.

My grandpa is one of the funniest people I know. During the six years my dad was working in Japan, my grandpa took on the role of my father figure.

We used to play the “princess game.” In our fantasy world, there was no prince coming to the rescue. It was always me, the princess, slaying Grandpa, the evil dragon, with rainbow pool noodles. The way he fell backwards, almost hurting himself when he met his fantasy death, made me crack up no matter how many times we played.

Then there was my grandpa’s famous “special apple-picking.” Knowing how much I loved apple-picking, especially with my bare hands, he would tie apples onto a cherry blossom tree in his backyard and give me a piggyback-ride so I could pick them without any tools. I would burst into laughter every time I reached for an apple while riding on his shoulders.

At 76, he is still healthy, hitting the gym every day and refusing to retire. But watching him from behind as he walks down the street, I can tell he has slowed.

His tongue, however, remains as sharp as ever. He makes me laugh every time we talk on the phone.

When we spoke a few days ago, he asked when my next visit was going to be, telling me he had his Michelin chef friends lined up to cook my favorite galbi dish (he doesn’t know any Michelin chefs).

I do miss my days of slaying the evil dragon grandpa. Yet I still love him just the same—for all the ways he makes me laugh.