Hero
Knock KnockEvery single day, whenever YoungJi walks out of her house door, she believes that one day, she'll meet the guy who once saved her. The guy who made her smile when she couldn't. The guy who made her strong when she was weak. No, it isn't her lover nor her friend nor a family member. The person she's looking for was a passerby with the initial - LHB.
Few years back, YoungJi was a fragile teenager. She couldn't fit in with the girls in her school because she was different - not physically but personality wise. She didn't fancy make-up, clothes or the latest boy band. What she liked was comic books, soccer,inline skating and her secret passion for singing. Everyday, the girls be it in her class or school, would insult her and call her names - flirt, fake, coward etc. She was tormented in all sort of way possible. No one wanted her to be in their group. They didn't like how she was able to talk to their favourite oppa just because she knew soccer language, comic characters and was sporty. She was a victim of jealousy. The only friends she had were males who never thought of her as a female. She had no one to talk to about her latest infatuation or anyone who would appreciate her vocals skills. The only people who knew of her singing skills were her family members. She was mentally weak from the constant verbal abuse. When she was on the way home one day, a few girls ganged up and approached. They weren't happy with her hanging out with a popular oppa from the inline skating club. He was the talk of town and YoungJi got close to him during practice. They abused her verbally and when YoungJi couldn't reply them they resort to violence. They slapped her, kicked her and when they were about to punch her, a guy with a dark brown hair with broad shoulders shouted "Stop or I'll call the police."
The girls fled the scene, leaving the pale looking YoungJi on the side walks. The guy approached her.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Do you want to go to the hospital?"
"I should be fine. I just need help standing up."
He offered his hand and helped her up.
"Thank you but I think I've got to go now."
" Hey, join me for a cup of coffee? I know a good place nearby. Besides, you should calm down first before heading home don't you think?"
" Err.. Sure."
He hold her shoulder and helped her walk. It was a short distance but she thought he smelled good. Really good. The smell of his body soap was distinct - a fresh smell though she couldn't figure out what scent it was. She close her eyes and inhale the nice smelling odour. They finally reached the café and he chose a seat at the corner. A seat for two with a dim orange light above. Somewhat romantic somewhat warm. He told her to stay put and walked to the counter. He came back with a tray of cheese muffin and two cups of warm caramel macchiato.
" I don't know what you'd like but this is the best drink for me and don't you even think about paying me back. It's my treat."
" Thank you so much but you've helped me enough. Please let me at least pay you back."
" It's okay." He winked
A moment of silence before he says " I don't know why they did it and what happened but I want you to know that, sometimes, it's alright to be different. You've got to be strong for yourself and only for yourself. Never let others hurt you just because you let them hurt you. It's your life, your choice. Cherish it because what matters is your own self confidence."
" I -"
" Don't say anything. Just enjoy the coffee."
They stayed quiet and continue sipping their coffee. It was quiet but a comfortable kind of quiet. The atmosphere of the café made her calm and relaxed. The soft music in the background were like a lullaby to her ears. She could feel the muscles in her body relaxing until she caught him smiling at her. She gave him a puzzled look in return. He replied with a soft chuckle and said " I should get going. I need to go for my err Basketball practice."
"Oh sure bye."
The moment he left, she realised, she didn't ask for his name. The only thing she remembers is his body scent and the initial engraved on his sports bag - LHB
5 years has passed and she looks out for him everytime. Hoping one day, she could return the favour which she owes him. She would often go to any random coffees with good caramel macchiato with the hope that he might turn up there. He was a huge influence in her and her family's life. The third year after constantly looking out for him, she convinced her mum that it would be good to open up a café since her Mum's forté was baking. She attended Coffee making workshops with her mum and mastered the art of caramel macchiato. She began to socialise more with regular customers. She smiled whenever she meets someone or when she made eye contact with anyone. She believes that a smile will spread happiness to anyone who's having a bad day. She learned to find her confidence through his words.
"Never let others hurt you just because you let them hurt you."
She lived by those words everyday through middle school . When it was time for high school, she made a choice. She wants to show the world her confidence through her vocal skills and song choices. She applied for a vacant spot in School of the Arts and went through auditions. She decided to be a singer. She auditioned for various talent agency. Some were not good enough or some kept giving her false hope. She was about to give up but she thought of him. She thought that maybe one day, when she stand on stage, she could find him. After 4 years of training, finally, she was able to join KARA as a new member.
The journey wasn't smooth either. As a new member, she kept getting hate messages on Twitter, Instagram and sometimes even letters which came in disguised as a fan letter. The harsh words from them discouraged her and made her wonder if she's in the right route. The words from him sometimes don't work anymore. The stage was her own self-assurance that things will be alright but if the fans don't appreciate her when she's at her strongest, can she still be strong?
To make matters worse, she had to live with her manager unnie so that it's easier for her to move around rather than to live with her parents. They were her listening ears and now she feels so locked up in the house with a higher authority. Her manager often controls her diet and rarely allows her to leave the house after 1030pm. It's too dangerous for her to sneak out too since she will never know when her manager would randomly check her room.
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