Chapter 1

Boa just woke up from her slumber. It was 7am in the morning. She had to prepare breakfast for everyone especially for her daughter. They had a big argument last night about Yuri attending a university very far away from them. It ended with a sour note so she was adamant on making up with her daughter.

She finished preparing breakfast and went over to Yuri’s room. She turned the knob and carefully took a peek. She was surprised to find no one in the room.

Where did that girl go to this time? Boa thought.

She went outside to find Yuri but she found her father instead.

“Appa. Have you seen Yuri?”

“Yuri? Isn’t she still asleep?”

“She’s not in her room.”

“Ahh. Maybe she went for a jog. You know that girl.”

Her father shrugged. Feeling uneasy about it, Boa made her way to check Yuri’s room again. Everything was in place. Neat and tidy. Then she noticed a few things missing. Yuri’s diary which she specifically places on top of her desk was gone. She knows that Yuri won’t put her diary anywhere else since she’s pretty much stuck on the idea of ‘don’t-move-my-things-or-I-wouldn’t-find-them-anymore’.

Then there’s another thing. Yuri’s mickey mouse doll which she loves dearly is missing too. Come to think of it, a lot of Yuri’s favorite things are missing. Then a switch . Boa quickly strode to Yuri’s closet only to find her clothes gone. Everything gone.

“Appaaaaa!” she screamed.

“I guess you’d want to read this.”

Her dad appeared from behind holding a neatly folded letter. It was address to “To Umma, Halapoji…”

*

“Woooooooooooooo! Seoul!!” Yuri screamed her lung out once she got off the bus.

She spent every penny of her savings on this trip. She regret leaving her mom and grandpa but she wanted to follow her dreams. She wanted to go to KAIST to have a better future. When she heard the news that she was accepted, she didn’t think twice. Even though her mom disagreed, she was set. She was determined to make her life and her family’s better. She didn’t want to be poor forever.

She walked in the busy morning streets of Seoul. She wasn’t familiar with Seoul at all. She’s never been anywhere outside of their small province.

“Ajussi, how do I get to KAIST?” she asked a random man on the street for directions.

“Ahh. Just get on the bus over there on the second street. It goes directly there.”

“Thank you very much ajussi!” Yuri bowed to the man.

Unknown to Yuri, there were two other men who were watching her. It was obvious to them that Yuri was pretty naïve. And so they began their plan. One of them walked past Yuri and suddenly collapsed on the ground. Being the Yuri she is, she immediately went to the man and dropped her belongings.

“Ajussi, are you ok? What happened? Should I call an ambulance??” she asked worriedly to the man.

She didn’t receive a reply because that’s when the other man grabbed her belongings and ran with the man that just collapsed on the floor.

Dumbfounded, it took Yuri a full minute to realize the situation.

“YAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! MY BAG!!! HELP ME! THOSE GUYS ARE THIEVES!!” Yuri screamed while running after the two men.

She thanked herself for jogging everyday which strengthened her stamina. However, she didn’t imagine that this is how she will use her stamina. Running after thieves.

“This people must have thought I’m that easy. HUH. I’m Kwon Yuri!” she thought while still running almost catching up to one of them.

She caught the hair of the other guy and roughly pulled it back. The man lost his balance and stumbled to the floor. Yuri took the chance to punch him straight in the face.

“Give me back my bag!” she continued to slap the guy’s face.

“I don’t have it!” he cried.

“Tell your friend to give it back here!!” she didn’t stop slapping.

Yuri wasn’t stopping. The man took something out of his pocket which appeared to be a pocket knife. He swung it in the air.

“What?? You wanna die??” he pushed it forward.

“Tsk.” Yuri angrily frowned and raised her hands.

The man hurriedly ran away. Leaving a disgruntled Yuri with only a Mickey Mouse doll in hand.

*

“Just my luck. It hasn’t even been an hour since I got here and I managed to lose all I got to a bunch of thieves. Why is it like this Mickey?!” Yuri shook the doll.

Tired from all the running, she went in a park and sat on the grass. With no one to talk to, she finally resorted to talking to her favorite doll. She raised the doll infront of her face.

“Mickey. You believe in my dream right?? If you do, help me. Come on. Don’t make me regret picking you over hundreds of Disney characters. I could have picked Donald duck over you, you know? Be helpful!”

*

“What else can you do? You can’t blame Jessica for being a good daughter.” Minho said over the phone.

“I know I know. But is it too much to ask for her to fight for our relationship? When finally I managed to announce our relationship to everyone, my dad’s issues just had to pop up.” Donghae retorted.

“You just need to talk dude.”

“And how will I do that? Problems just keep arising. My mom’s in distress and I don’t even know where my dad is right now.”

“How about this, let’s meet up. I’ll help you figure things out.”

*

“Wait a minute…” Yuri fumbled on the zipper of her Mickey Mouse doll.

“ yes!!”

She showered her doll with kisses. She just remembered that when she was a child, she used to stuff bunch of wons inside it.

“I love you Mickey! I knew you’d be useful someday!”

She kissed the doll one last time before heading out of the park.

*

“Woaaaah.” Yuri widened her eyes.

She was now at the front gates of KAIST. The home of her future. She entered the gates and walked around. Walking became running. She was running so fast. She was feeling the wind.

“KAAAAAIIISSTTT! I’m heeeeereeee! Kwon Yuri is heeereeeeeeeee!” she screamed while running.

A bunch of students gathered around and whispered something about her in the lines of ‘is she crazy’, ‘a girl so pretty’, ‘too bad she’s nuts’. But Yuri couldn’t care less. She’s in KAIST!

*

“Daaad. What am I going to do?? What am I gonna do about Yuri??”

“Of all the things she can inherit from you, it just had to be your stubbornness that she got in her veins!”

“What?? How am I gonna control that?? Daaad. We need to bring Yuri back here.”

“Boa. Yuri’s grown up now and Seoul’s a big place. We won’t find her there.”

“I don’t care!! The important thing is that I don’t want her to be alone in such a place! Huuuu.” Boa cried.

*

Yuri already got settled in her dorm. She took a shower and rinsed her clothes since she doesn’t have any other clothes to wear. Now only clad in her underwear, she roamed around the room while waiting for her clothes to dry. The room was just ordinary. As expected, she was just a scholar. She didn’t pay anything for this university so it was expected that she’ll only get a normal room. But Yuri didn’t mind though, their house in the province was way worse than this one. Atleast they got a heater and air conditioner here and everything is cemented a contrast to their bamboo house.

She found a home phone and remembered her mother. She must be really pissed right now. She decided to call her.

*kring*

“YOBOSEYO??”

“Ack!” Yuri shrieked to the loudness of the voice.

“YURI???”

“Mom mom. Relax it’s me.”

“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU YOU PUNK?!”

“I’m okay mom. I’m in the dorm of the university I got in. KAIST remember?”

“*breathe* *breathe* Why did you just go like that?” Boa softened.

“If I didn’t, you wouldn’t let me. You know this is my dream right mom? I want to do something for my future. Our future.”

“*sigh* But are you okay? Do you have money? Did you already eat??”

“woaah. Mom. I’m good. Everything’s fine. I got in safely at the dorm.” Blatant lie.

“I worry about you Yuri. Are you really okay? I don’t feel good with you being alone there…”

“Don’t worry mom. I can do this. I’m your daughter. Believe in me.”

They talked for awhile more until Yuri hung up because she was afraid she might crack. Of course she wasn’t okay. She has no money. She has no clothes. No everything. She wasn’t sure how she could survive the few days before the school starts. But Kwon Yuri is a strong girl. She’ll figure things out on her own.

Unknowingly, a tear escaped her eye. She quickly wiped it away.

“You can do this Yuri. For your family. Hwaiting!” she talked to herself.

Yuri got herself a part time job at a diner as an all around worker. Janitress, dish washer, waitress you name it. This was what helped Yuri manage the few days before school. She bought herself cheap clothes from the market and a few necessities. It wasn’t ideal but she doesn’t have a choice.

*

Meanwhile at a mansion.

“Miss… Time to wake up.” Her personal maid shook her but she still didn’t wake up.

The miss was known to be a total sleepy head. Inside her princess like room, she laid comfortably in her queen size bed. If it was just any other day, her maid would just give up since the girl wouldn’t wake up no matter what she does anyway but this was the girl’s first day in school she had to do something.

*Sniff* *Sniff*

The girl instantly bolted up and ran as far away to the green monster as possible.

“What are you doing?!” she spat angrily.

The maid repositioned herself and bowed.

“Good morning miss Jessica. It’s the first day of school. You need to get ready. Your mom’s waiting downstairs.”

And as if the maid said the magic word, Jessica grudgingly complied.

Downstairs…

“Oh Jessica, I’m surprised you’re awake.” Her mom quipped.

“Good morning mom, dad.” She greeted her parents.

“Good morning baby.” Her dad smiled at her.

She positioned herself in the dining table and quietly started her meal.

“So it’s your first day of school right Jessica?”

“Yes mom.” She politely said.

“You better do well in there. It took me a lot to get you in there. If only you didn’t flunk the exam.” Her mother said.

Hearing this Jessica couldn’t help but feel sad. Everything in this house is suffocating for her. And her mom is the core of the suffocation.

“Darling, don’t mind your mother. She’s just so uptight.” Her dad lightened up the atmosphere.

Her dad was the only good thing in the household. He has her back on everything. If it wasn’t for him, she would have escaped from this prison a long time ago. That is if she had the guts to really run away.

“It’s okay... dad.”