I was still looking at them in confusion when Kwangmin spoke up.

“Guys, I think we should introduce ourselves.”

The blonde guy who looked almost exactly like Kwangmin was glaring at the wall.

“I’m Jo Youngmin.” Was all he said without even looking at me.

The guy next to him was the guy who’d poked my face and asked me if I was real. He walked up to me, took my hand, and kissed it, “The name’s Jeongmin, Lee Jeongmin.”

He flipped his hair and winked at me. This sent me into a fit of giggles. He walked back to his original spot with a satisfied smile. The next guy was also just glaring off into space, and scoffed at me without introducing himself. He muttered something, but it was too quiet for me to hear.

The tall, older looking guy next to him looked at me with apologetic eyes, “I’m sorry about him. He’s not very social. That’s Shim Hyunseong. I’m Kim Donghyun. We both go to the university on campus.”

I smiled at him and nodded my head. My eyes wandered from Donghyun to Kwangmin and Minwoo.

“And I guess you already know Minwoo and I.”

I nodded again and bowed to all of them, “I’m Lee Kari. It looks like I’ll be rooming with you guys for the school year. Please take care of me.” I bowed again.

“Psh, like that’ll happen. Who’d want to take care of you?” I heard Hyunseong mutter.

Donghyun smacked him across the back of the head. I looked away, slightly hurt. But it was nothing new for me. I was used to mean comments, especially about my weight.

Flashback~

“Lee Kari, how much did you eat for breakfast this morning? It looks like you ate the whole table!” the boy I once cherished so much blurted out in front of the entire cafeteria of elementary school kids.

Tears brimmed my eyes, but I refused to let them spill over.

“W-why are you b-being like this?” I stuttered, my voice cracking.

I expected him to apologize and tell me that he was just kidding, since he was my best friend. Instead, he let out a laugh and pushed me to the ground.

“Get up, fatty. Why are you even here? You don’t deserve to go to this school. You don’t deserve to go to any school. You’re a disgrace, you don’t even deserve to live!”

My heart couldn’t take any more, I turned around and ran out of the school without looking back, with tears flowing wildly down my face. He was my best friend, his name was Hyunseong too. I called him Song because he was so into music. He made a complete fool out of me, and I never saw or heard from him after that day. My heart hurt more than words could explain, and I could do nothing but cry. I went to the park we always hung out at, and sat on the swing.

I looked at his empty swing and questioned the illusion of him sitting next to me laughing happily, “Why did you do that? H-how could you?”

The imaginary image of him responded with a regretful face, “I’m so sorry Karebear! I didn’t mean it…you know I didn’t. I like that you’re bigger than most girls, it makes you more beautiful.”

I went back to school the next day, ready to forgive him. I looked everywhere for him. I went to our secret meeting place, the music room, hoping he’d be there. I walked around to the piano bench and only saw a slightly crumpled note with a wilted daisy next to it. The daisy I’d given him when we first became friends. I picked the note up, and when I saw it up close, I noticed the tearstains and little rips on the paper.

Karebear  Kari,

     I’m not sorry for what I said yesterday. It’s all true, you’re just an ugly creature. I was only ever friends with you because I pitied you. I felt sorry that you were so hideous, so I befriended you. I hope you didn’t get the wrong impression from me. I was fed up with you always getting in my way, so I finally decided to tell you off yesterday. I meant every word I said. I mean every word in this letter. To make sure I never have to see you again, I moved away. I’ll be long gone by the time you find this letter. Don’t ever try to contact or find me again. Here’s the daisy you gave me when we first became friends. I’m giving it back to you because it’s meaningless to me. I never wanted it in the first place. Don’t ever think about us as friends again. If we ever run into each other in the future, I’ll ignore you, because you’re nothing more than a pest. You’re just a stain I want to erase. Don’t think about me again. Throw this letter away after you’re done reading it, and throw everything I gave you away. I already threw everything you gave me away. This is the end of our friendship. Goodbye.

-Song  Hyunseong

I fell to the floor, clutching the letter to my chest, right against where my heart was beating so rapidly. I sat there and cried for hours.

“Kari? Wake up. Kari!”

An annoying voice was interrupting my favorite memory. Yes, my favorite, because Hyunseong helped me become a stronger person. I have recovered, and I don’t even care about him anymore.

“5 more minutes mom.” I grumbled at the person who was trying to wake me up by shaking my shoulders.

Different laughs sounded in unison and a different voice spoke, “Kari, we’re not your mom.”

I opened my eyes, squinting, trying to adjust to the light.

My cheeks heated up in embarrassment, “Omo, I’m sorry. Did I fall asleep?”

Youngmin gave me an annoyed look, but walked closer to me. He wiped something wet off my cheeks.

“Are you crying?” Minwoo smirked.

“N-no.” My blush deepened to a crimson red.

Everyone except for Jeongmin, Kwangmin, and Donghyun laughed at me. I looked away and buried my face in my pillow.

“Are you going back to sleep?” I heard one of them ask.

“Mm.” I responded sleepily.

I heard their retreating footsteps and then the door shut. I got up and let out a sigh. I looked to my bag and pulled something out of it. I looked at the familiar, hurtful last words that Song had ever written me, and the tears fell over again.

Who am I kidding? I can never forget him.

I put my hand over my mouth in attempt to silence my noisy sobs when an arm pulled me close to something solid. I glanced up and saw Kwangmin looking at me with concern clear in his eyes.

“Kari…what’s wrong?” a moment of silence passed, but I still couldn’t speak.

He spoke again, “You can’t get yourself out of this one, your tears are soaking my shirt.” He smiled.

I smiled back half-heartedly, still at loss of words.

When I found my voice, I told him slowly, “I miss my best friend. He left me when I was 9, and he was 12.  I haven’t had a close friend since then. I miss him.”

The tears wouldn’t stop falling, and my voice caught in my throat. He rubbed my arm in comfort and I laid my head on his shoulder.

“I’ll be your friend.”

I looked up at him, “Really?”

A grin spread across my face. I hugged him gently, and he wrapped his arms around me. We pulled away and I wiped my eyes and cheeks. We looked at each other and laughed light-heartedly.

“Thank you. I am sincerely thankful to have a roommate as nice as you. I needed the comfort.”

He smiled and nodded, “It’s not a big deal. Should we go out? I think the other guys are getting hungry.”

When he said the word hungry, my stomach let out a huge growl.

He chuckled, “And I guess you are too.”

I laughed with him and we walked out of the bedroom.

They all glanced up at us, and I caught someone’s eyes staring coldly at me. He’d stared coldly at me in the bedroom, but this time, his face was too familiar.

Song.