“REALLY?! WE’RE MOVING TO SEOUL?!!” my chair fell down with thud as I stood up as if an invisible force pushed me up from my sit.

Appa laughed as he munched up his dinner.

“Yes Ji Yeon didn’t you hear us just now?” omma had a gentle smile on her face which was too-calm response in exchange for my over reaction.

I have always been wishing to live in Seoul and yes my dream—my dream—it’s coming true! “When do we leave?” I ask with a high pitch tone, my voice giving out how excited I am.

“Next week.”

~~

I slept the whole trip to Seoul and when I opened my eyes I knew that a whole new different world is lying in front of me.

I have been living for about 17 years now but for that long years I had only two friends, Minyu, my best friend whom I left in Daejeon (she was the reason I’ve been crying my heart out before we traveled to Seoul) and a childhood enemy-friend. It’s not that I’m not friendly but they were the only ones I considered as close friends. As long as my brain cells can recall, this childhood friend-enemy of mine, has also moved to Seoul eleven years ago and after that I didn’t have any news about him anymore.  He was always bullying me when we were kids but at the same time he was the only one who bothered to talk and play with me that time.

It was all in my blurry past but I still remembered how exceptional were his eyes and smile even though most of the time, I see mischief in them. Maybe childhood memories were precious to me that it permanently resided in my mind.

Oh well If ever I meet him again, I bet we wouldn’t recognize each other anymore.

~~

My parents went out for a while to buy our dinner since they like home-cooked foods compared to just eating at the restaurant.

I was fixing my room which had a balcony, when I heard the door bell rang. I run outside thinking it was my parents. I didn’t even bother to see whose outside via the small screen near the door.

I pushed the door open, it didn’t bulge. I pushed it again and then realized. “Babo,” I whispered as I pulled the door open instead.

“So what’s for di—“ I abruptly stopped as I lay my eyes on a boy about my age or maybe a year older, standing in front me. He had an irritated expression as he held out a plate of rice cake to my face.

“My parents said to give this to you since you just moved here. They wish to welcome you personally but they’re too busy for that. Giving you rice cake is quite old fashion but what can I do my parents’ are–“he paused. “Oh never mind that.”

“Oh okay,” and before I could thank him he walked away and entered the apartment parallel to ours.

Weird.

~~

 “Are you sure you will be alright going to school alone?” omma had a worried expression as I was about to open the door leading outside the hall.

“Don’t worry omma. We had toured from here to our school right? I’m sure I’ll be alright since I’m going to ride a bus anyway,” I smiled half-heartedly not sure if I’m going to be alright. Good thing omma didn’t notice that because if she did, she will surely drop me to school as if I was in grade school or something.

“Okay fine. Call me if anything came up, alright?”

I nodded. “Annyeong!” I shouted so that even appa, who was still dozing off, could hear it.

After a long ride down the elevator, since we were staying at the twelfth floor, I went outside the building and walk directly to the bus stop. Good thing the bus was still waiting for passengers when I reached it. I went up, wondered my eyes for a seat making sure to avoid busy looking ahjussi and ahjummas and luckily I spotted an empty one at the back.

“Is anyone sitting here?” I asked politely to the boy who was seated next to the window. It took me for a while to recognize that he was the boy staying next to our apartment. “Oh annyeong hasaeyo!”

He gazed up looking half-asleep and then turned back his attention outside the window.

My smile slowly disappeared as I sat down next to him. For the whole ride, I felt like an invisible barrier was between us. I looked at him at the corner of my eyes and observed he had the same uniform as mine, except that he wore the boy version of the uniform of course. I was about to open my mouth to say something but shut it again when I realized he was sleeping. For some reason, I thought I was in heaven because right next to me was a sleeping angel.

I pushed my thoughts away as the bus stopped. This is it, I thought as I stood up and hopped down the bus. Gathering all the strength I have, I walked to school with my head up.