Soojung stared at the single and simple term ‘friends’. Before the stranger, Sunggyu was referring to her as a friend but then when the question was dropped, Soojung felt flustered. Why would anyone want to be friends with me? Were her exact thoughts. She has never been so confused before, not even when her parents suddenly beat her or when they turn their backs on her but expected things in return. Because she knew farewell of their mental and physical condition. However, she was still caught off guard and surprised by the question. After a while, she finally picked up the chalk that has gotten a lot shorter and smaller. On the post she wrote, “Why do you want to be friends?”

While waiting for a response the next day, Soojung had gone out to purchase a box of chalks from a small store before boarding the bus. When she was given the chance, Soojung gently lowered the box onto the ground where it was visible. Once she saw the replied, she pulled out one of the fresh chalk and began to write back.

“Why? You don’t want to?”

“No I’m just curious since we have never met.”

Each and everyday Soojung would leave her home to see if Sunggyu has written anything new. Despite what the weather was like throughout the day, for some odd reason Soojung and Sunggyu would find their way to communicate but never once did they bump into one another.

“Do we have to meet to be friends?”

“No….But would we be friends if we have never met?”

“Of course we’re distant friends! Haven’t you heard that word before? Long distant friends”

“I have but I have never had a long distance friend before.”

“Me neither! But we can both start now!”

Though their friendship was only the beginning, Soojung couldn’t help but envision a Sunggyu. Someone who was good looking with a friendly and outgoing attitude. Someone who she thought was too good to be her friend. Someone who deserved a better friend. For the upcoming months, Soojung found herself sharing everything with Sunggyu, because things at home were becoming worst, and he was the only one willing to listen and understand her.

Her father was getting fed up with her mother doing nothing but sleep and eat due to her depression. Her mother was angry at her father for only and always throwing tantrums in the middle of the night. On some nights Soojung would be the center of their anger and or her father’s punching bag. But each day Soojung would use all of the strength she had left to travel to the bus stop and do well in school. Soojung was studying art, she had always wanted to move away to a bigger city and become a painter. Her specialty was painting portraits and so one day she hoped to paint and be paid by a rich, wealthy individual for her work.

But her father’s spending and gambling got the best of him. Weeks later he was in debt and Soojung had to drop out of school since she couldn’t afford to pay for her tuition. On that day, it was exactly three months after Soojung and Sunggyu had started their indirect meeting.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter