I breathed deeply through the smothering cloud of steam, trying to find oxygen. The hot water burned my feet and hands so that they were red. Just what I need, I thought, drying myself off with a towel. It numbed me enough that I felt drowsy now. Maybe I should sleep….after this long day…
I’m Lee Ji-na, 17. My biggest dream is to be a princess. Well…ok. That was back when I was younger, until I realized that being a princess wasn’t an occupation. Now I want singer, a performer. But I still want to be a princess. Does that sound weird? Ever since I was little, I was infatuated with the perfect lives of princesses and fairytales. They fascinated me to no end! It’s so amazing how everything with their prince and love lives worked out so well, you know, the “happily ever after”. The prince would sweep them of their feet one day, then get married the next week! So I guess now my definition of a princess would be one who falls in love at first sight and has her “happily ever after”. That’s what I want. I know, I know, that sounds superficial and stupid. But honestly, don’t we all want that? Think about it! I mean, no one wants to be unhappy. And I bound and determined to make it happen.
I wrapped a towel around my head and slipped on a tank top and plaid pajama bottoms, and trudged into my room and flopped on my bed. 
Well, I tried to, but I felt a hard body. 
My heart skipped a few beats and I leaped off the bed, grabbing a lamp by instinct.
A ?! e?! Who was in my bed?!
“Who…who are you!?” I shouted, readying my weapon. “I-I’ll call the police on you!!”
The lump shook with laughter under the covers. “Hahahahahaha!” 
The unmistakable laughter belonged to no other than Yang Yoseob. He threw off the blanket and doubled over in laughter. “That was my best one yet!”
Yang Yoseob is my neighborhood friend. He’s my senior by 2 years, but he acts younger than me. We’ve known eachother pretty much since forever~ He’s like my brother. Right now, he’s training to become an idol. He may act real goofy, but he really does have an amazing singing voice. But more than often…his silliness outshines his maturity…. 
“Yah!! That was not funny!” I hit lightly with the lamp, and put a hand over my heart, it still pounding from the shock. I shakily put it down, and pushed him out. “Leave, jerk!”
“Hey, it was a joke! Come on!” He protested.
“I said leave, creep!” I shut the door behind me, and shook my hair out of my towel. “Jeez, that kid is so annoying! What if I was just in a towel, or something?!” I said still shaking from being so scared. I sighed. I knew he was still out there…
I opened the door. There he was. His face broke into a blinding, infectious smile, like a puppy begging for forgiveness from misbehaving. I laughed, despite being mad. “What do you want.” I said, letting him back in. I threw my towel into my laundry basket.
“I’m bored.” He said, bouncing up and down on my bed.
“I’m tired.” I said, rubbing my eyes. “What time is it? Like, 4 in the afternoon? Don’t you have practice, or something?”
“Nah, and KiKwang’s busy. So here I am~ Aish, don’t give me that face!” He rolled his eyes, seeing my love struck expression.
What, Yoseob? Hahaha, never! I would never fall for Yoseob! It’s impossible, really. No, I’m in love with Lee KiKwang, Yoseob’s best friend. 
It really was love at first sight, like I said before.
It was at school, and he was new in school. It was that one day at school, last year…

“Um, excuse me!” KiKwang-oppa called to me on that day in the crowded hallway. I turned around to see him, coming towards me. He had kind eyes and short dark brown hair. His face was puckered in confusion, but later I would find out that it always was smiling… I stood still, and time slowed. It was just me and him in this hallway. He was it. I knew it. I knew it in my heart.
“Yes…” I said to myself, unable to take my eyes off him. 
“I’m sorry, but can you tell me where this room is?” He pointed at a diagram.
I blinked out of my reverie. “Um, sure!” I said.
His face broke into a genuine smile. “Ah, thanks so much!” 
“No problem!” I said, walking with him, my heart pounding. “What’s your name?”
“Lee KiKwang. You?”
“I’m Lee Ji-na! Are you new?” We even have the same last name! Doesn’t that, more than anything, tell you that we’re fate?
“Yeah, my family moved here last week. What class are you in?”
“I’m in 3rd class.” Please be in 3rd class, please please please…I prayed.
“Ah, ok. I’m in 5th.”
“Oh.” My heart sank. He was my Oppa, not in my class. Then I remembered that Yoseob was in 5th class. “Ah! I have a friend in that class! You should meet him!”

And it all goes from there. Yoseob and KiKwang both found out that they wanted to go into the entertainment business, so they hit it off real well. Last year I would stop by Yoseob’s classroom in the morning everyday, and it wasn’t long before Yoseob figured out that I liked KiKwang-oppa. I made him swear he wouldn’t tell anyone, so in exchange he teases me like no other when KiKwang-oppa isn’t around. I talk about him non-stop to irritate him back.
The reason I want to be a singer now is because of KiKwang-oppa. He helped me realize my dream! I’m going to work with him in the company, because I know we’re fated to be. Ah, that sounds so weird hahahaha! But it’s really what I feel, what I know.
“Well, do what you want.” I said, picking up my messy room. “I’m going to do my sketches.” I liked drawing, even though I really wasn’t that good. I mostly drew sketches of possible wedding dresses for my wedding. Frills, sparkle, bows, everything a princess would wear.
He rolled his eyes. “Your wedding dress sketches? You’re only 17! You’re crazy.” He wandered over to my bookshelf, chock full of, you guessed it—fairytales. 
“Ji-nannnnie~ read me a story.” He took my favorite fat pink book with gold-gilded pages, “My First Fairytales”. It was old and worn, pages folded down, the binding falling apart. I got it for my 4th birthday. Over time I had highlighted quotes from my favorite stories, written little notes…normally I wouldn’t let anyone touch the book since it was personal, but Yoseob knew only too well of my princess obsession, and knew some of the parts by heart since he kinda grew up reading the book too in a way, because he was always around me, so I didn’t really care.
“Read yourself.” I said, not looking up from my drawing.
He was quiet for a bit, flipping through the pages. Then he spoke.
“Do you really think you’re going to marry KiKwang?” He asked, no joking in his voice.
I froze, and blushed. “None of your business.” I tried to resume drawing, but my daydream mode started.
We would come out the marble white church, giant bells ringing in the spring air… The sun would shine on our faces as we come out on the steps, holding hands, me in my perfect dress and him in the perfect suit...Crowds of friends and family would surround us, and we would walk down the steps and drive off into the sunset together…our honeymoon would be in Europe…of course, that’s just the gist, I’m still working out the details…but, oh! How…amazing…
“Blah, she’s off in la la land.” Yoseob said to himself, and closed the book. “I’m out.” He stood up.
“Are you sure?” I said absently, still in “la la land”.
“Yeah, see ya.” He picked up his cap off the floor, and shut the door behind him. I really flopped on my bed this time, and sighed happily. Then I sat up, remembering my songbook. Currently, I was working on a song about the different things me and my future boyfriend, KiKwang-oppa, would do once we confess to eachother. I haven’t figured out a title yet, but I have the first verse done. I made it straight from my heart, my honest feelings and wishes put to lyrics.
“If I have a boyfriend, there are so many things I want to do and that I’ve always dreamed of~” I read. “First, kisses on the street, second, you see, is to take the train to ChooChun at dawn, third is going on a picnic, and couple rings as the usual….” I smiled to myself, and fell back on my pillow. 
He was just so perfect, honestly…beautiful voice, beautiful smile…funny laugh… he was always so kinda and cool…but can be sweet and gentle…it was just all so right. I closed my eyes, enveloped in my dreams of our happily ever after together.

tell me what you think~ ☜(⌒▽⌒)☞  ☜(⌒▽⌒)☞