He had no reason to loathe me, but I had a reason to hate him; he makes me feel repugnant. Every time I look at him, I feel like I get uglier and uglier. The world really is unfair. My parents get killed in an accident, my aunt is always out of the country, I’m surrounded by beautiful people and I’m just that unwanted, unsightly friend. Honestly, I really hate my life right now.

Why can’t I be exceptionally attractive too?

When the last bell rang in the afternoon I stood up, walked over to HyunA and told her I was going straight home. She was going to tag along with me but I told her I wanted to be alone.

 I felt awful and just wanted to lock myself in my room, away from the public eye. I was having another one of my stupid emotional break-downs that only I can understand.

“Just kill yourself and get it over with Hweji.” I sighed to myself.

I walked slowly on the side of the road. I heard a group of girls laughing and talking a few meters behind me, I turned to find out it was only HyunA and her fellow cheerleaders—Yes, HyunA. The conservative shy girl Kim HyunA —which she only hung with a few times a month.

I turned away and continued walking. A few minutes later they passed by in Hara’ red convertible, but HyunA wasn’t with them so I guess she probably got on a bus.

I wasn’t thinking as I walked which is how what should have been a 15 to 20 minute walk became an important part of my life.

 I was empty and only realized I was walking around like an idiot and was already far away from our apartment building when I passed a loud club. It was already getting dark and the bar’s neon signs were already on. I had never been in a club and I’ve never thought to venture into one, but my life was getting ier with each passing second, maybe there’d be something inside that could help. Like alcohol.

The music inside was thunderous, just the way I liked it. The only light source inside were a couple of different colored neon chandeliers. This seemed like a pretty fancy club, there was suede everywhere. In the middle of the room you’d find the bar and up on the counter there was a girl dancing. I didn’t pay much attention to her until she got off and walked past me, not noticing me.

It was Hara—our school’s head cheerleader. Not really a Good Samaritan, she’s kinda, how should I put this, a jerk? She wasn’t the kind of person you’d consider “smart” but her being hot made every girl want to be her and made every boy want her. Except me, she’s pretty and all but she just isn’t the type I get jealous of. Then I noticed how everyone turned their heads to look at her, and my ego dropped even deeper into the earth’s crust. The feeling of being unwanted, being ugly was as if I was being stabbed all over by a thousand razor-sharp blades.

 I came in here for one thing, to drink but as I walked over to the bar, avoiding the elbows, fists and what not of those dancing, I realized I was about to make a mistake. I was being an emotional loser and just like that I got over my dilemma.

 I U-turned and marched out of there and, just my luck, it was pouring out!

I was only in there for what, Five minutes? How the hell can it be raining this hard?

Light was fading and I needed to get home. I looked at my wrist watch and found out it was already seven, I opened my phone to text oba-chan that I was stranded but my phone was dead.

CRAP. Can my day get worse?!

 I turned to the wall I was leaning on and started banging my head on it.

“This officially changes my opinion on rain, I hate you now.”

“Need an umbrella?” someone asked behind me.

It was a boy, around my age. My mouth almost dropped when I saw him.

 He had his hair formed like a shark’s tail fin, a common hairstyle but he made it epic and his ears had two piercings, one at the most common place people get ear piercings, at that fatty part of the ear lobe and a conch.

“Yeah.” I muttered.

“You can walk with me if you want.” He offered, smiling.

He was a stranger and I seemed right to refuse. “No, it’s okay. I’ll just let the rain die down.” I told him.

“You sure? It looks like it’s gonna be a while.” He had a point.

It was raining cats and dogs. If he turns out to be a psychopath, I’ll just do my best to beat him up. I’ll take the risk. Besides, I don’t care anymore. If he wants, I’ll let him cut me open and sell my organs, it’s not like my life is worth fighting for at the moment.

“I live pretty far east from here.” I told him.

“That’s not a problem. I’m heading a long distance east from here too.”

“Thank you, you’re my savior.”

He laughed, “I’m Jesus’ direct descendant.”

We walked together for around forty minutes and when we reached the road that led up to my building, the rain finally stopped.

“Well, this is where I stop.” I told him, thanking him again before saying goodbye. During our little walk together, we realized we had so much in common. We both liked cloudy, rainy and snowy days more than sunny days, we both loved ice cream, and both our lives revolved around music. We even had an intense debate on which is better, a soft ballad song or a techno dance song. We both agreed on the techno.

“No problem.” He answered before he turned to leave.

I think I heard him mutter something else too, it sounded like he said “pretty”, but I could be mistaken. But I just chose to believe it, because truthfully, I liked him. I liked him a lot. My heart felt like jumping out of my chest and I was smiling so widely my cheeks were about to rip themselves.

 I jumped, frolicked giddily up the hill and into the apartment building lobby. I nodded at Amelia as I passed.

“Someone seems happy.” I heard her say.

That night I couldn’t stop thinking about…

oh, God! What was his name?

I cursed myself for forgetting to ask his name.

I played around with my memory of him and matched names that would fit him—Minjun? Ken? Hyunchul? There were just too many possibilities, and I knew this would chew at me endlessly.

I didn’t eat; I didn’t feel like eating, all I wanted to do was think of him, whatever his name is. Recalling his smile, the way his hair was elegantly fixed even for such a street-ish style, how he dressed, how his soft and beautiful voice sounded.

 I woke up the next morning; I had fallen asleep thinking of the boy whom I didn’t even know and whom I couldn’t get out of my mind. At this moment, if I were given anything; I would simply ask God to let me know his name.

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Who do y'all think this beautiful stranger is? :))